Ellen DeGeneres Ran Household Like a 'Boot Camp' and 'Tormented Workers', Ex-Staffer Claims

And it could very well be the worst yet.

In the last couple of months, we have seen countless tales and allegations be made against DeGeneres who, up until quite recently, was regarded as one of the nicer figures in Hollywood.

Now, these allegations didn't come as much of a surprise to most of us...

Because, for years now, rumors about Ellen's true personality have been rife. Though she has built her on-screen persona around being outspoken against injustice and generous to the needy, many people have claimed that, in real life, she is quite the opposite.

Those who have met the star have claimed that she is nothing more than another power-hungry, self-centered celebrity.

Which is certainly a far cry from the relatable and humble TV host we all know and love... Or we thought we knew and loved.

In recent years, Ellen's image has been questioned more and more.

Cracks have certainly begun to show, and rumors of the somewhat nastier personality behind the famous smiling blonde-haired, blue-eyed face have been intensifying.

And, this year, things have reached a breaking point.

Now, more than ever before, people are starting to turn against the star as detrimental stories continue to resurface.

Her past employees certainly haven't held back.

For example...

Ellen clearly doesn't care too much for writer's strikes.

This Twitter user came forward with the story about Ellen's head writer, Karen Kilgariff. Karen was under Ellen's employment for 5 years until she took part in a writer's strike. Boom. Fired. And a word was never exchanged between the pair again.

More scandal regarding her treatment of staff...

This woman claims that her friend used to work as a writer on the show and, in the whole 2 years of her employment, Ellen didn't greet her once. In fact, none of the staff were allowed to speak to the star of the show. Apparently.

Staff weren't even allowed in the same room as her.

Wow, we really aren't worthy, are we?

Her veganism has also ruffled a few feathers in the past.

For a colleague's birthday, Twitter user Alison Freer was celebrating with a BBQ outside of the Warner Bros studios where The Ellen Show is filmed. However, Ellen was quick to shut down all the festivities by sending someone over to put a stop to the celebration, all because she doesn't eat meat. Not cool, Ellen.

Her compassion for animals strikes again.

Though it's great that she cares so much about animals, her sensitivity to the matter doesn't bode well for her employees.

Ellen apparently hates her own fans.

And her own show! Who'd have thought it?

She also has no respect for her current staff.

In a recent, rather weird segment on her talk show, the sixty-two-year-old rated her staff's babies after telling us "my staff [have] a lot of beautiful additions to their families. Clearly they had to be rated." Did they Ellen? Did they really?

Quite predictably, these allegations have hit her already crumbling reputation pretty hard...

And, as a result, her ratings have taken a huge blow.

Before the allegations were made this year, Ellen’s ratings were consistently around 2.0 for her daytime slot...

With previous seasons of the show raking in an average of 4.5 million viewers.

But, a couple of months ago...

The Ellen Show had its season-low rating of around 1.5.

Her ratings are continuing to decline...

So much so that, at one point in time, fans were convinced that the worst had happened, but the producers ended up confirming that the show is not going to be axed... Yet.

Since these allegations arose, it seems that action has been taken...

As reports in July claimed that The Ellen Show was officially under investigation.

The show was investigated for racism, mistreatment, and intimidation on set.

WarnerMedia, who own and syndicate the show, were believed to be the ones to launch the internal investigation into what’s happening behind the scenes.

And, in light of all this backlash...

Ellen herself has been forced to speak out.

The host issued an apology to her staff working on the show.

Ellen wrote a later to her staff where she said that the culture behind the scenes was not a reflection of the values she started the show with, and vowed to do better in the future.

She had a lot to say...

“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect," the talk show host wrote in a letter to her staff.

She continued:

“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."

Ellen went on to say that as the show grew, she was not “able to stay on top of everything. “

And “relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t."

She added...

“I’m also learning that people who work with me and for me are speaking on my behalf and misrepresenting who I am and that has to stop. As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me."

“It’s been way too long, but we’re finally having conversations about fairness and justice," she wrote.

“We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others, and I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention. I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow. It’s important to me and to Warner Bros. that everyone who has something to say can speak up and feels safe doing so."

But, despite her grovelling apology...

Yet another accusation has arisen, and it could very well be the worst yet.

A former staffer has come forward with a grim insight into life on The Ellen Show...

In which it was compared to a "military boot camp."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the former employee recalled how Ellen would "take pleasure" in firing staff members...

As well as barking orders and tormenting employees over tiny errors.

Her alleged behavior sounded simply unbearable.

According to the source, workers were hit with an itemized daily list of gripes from serving food in the wrong bowl, leaving the salt shaker in the wrong place, or failing to ensure her latte was frothed the way she liked it.

"Ellen was the worst person that I’ve ever met in my life. She takes pleasure in firing people."

The source continued:

"Sometimes she would yell at us but it was more about the incredibly condescending tone she would use. She treated you like you were nothing. She was going to torture you and you were just going to sit there and listen to it because you were being paid."

The former employee also alleged that DeGeneres would even "leave traps" around her home before she left for work...

Strategically leaning matchsticks behind cupboard doors and cushions to test if cleaners were dusting every square inch of her sprawling residence.

Of course, many staff members didn't last very long in DeGeneres' employment...

The source explained how employees rarely lasted more than a few months and, on one occasion, a household manager was fired just two hours into the job. Doesn't exactly coincide with her famous "be kind to one another" catchphrase, does it?

The Ellen scandal continues...

For more on the controversy surrounding the talk show host, keep scrolling to read about the time she was spotted out with George W. Bush...