Ellen to address the drama

Photo: All rights reserved.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres will return to her studio home and address her namesake show's summer drama on Sept. 21.

The comedian issued an apology to staff on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after former and current employees went public with claims of harassment and misconduct behind the scenes.

Some whistleblowers told BuzzFeed there was a "toxic culture" on the show and they accused Ellen of turning a blind eye to alleged abuses.

The expose prompted a major WarnerMedia investigation, following which three senior producers were fired.

Now, DeGeneres has confirmed she'll be back in the studio for Season 18 of the show next month, and she will address the claims against herself and the producers during the first episode.

"I can't wait to get back to work and back to our studio. And, yes, we're gonna talk about it," DeGeneres says.

She and her crew left the studio in March as the coronavirus crisis began. She subsequently hosted a series of shows virtually from her home.

The season premiere will feature an in-studio interview with Tiffany Haddish, who last week revealed she had tested positive for COVID-19.

Kerry Washington, Alec Baldwin, and Chrissy Teigen are also lined up to appear on shows during Ellen's first week back.