Rolling Stone recently published an article claiming that The Weeknd‘s upcoming HBO series The Idol is “twisted torture porn.” Now, it’s published an article alleging that The Kelly Clarkson Show is “toxic behind the scenes.”
To be clear, Kelly is not responsible for the alleged “toxic” behavior, according to the article, and is described as likely being unaware of it. Instead, 11 current and former employees blame several producers, including executive producer and showrunner Alex Duda, who one former employee describes as “a monster.”
According to those quoted in the article, there have been numerous complaints made to human resources about how working with Duda, a production manager and other staff was affecting their mental health, but HR allegedly didn’t do anything about it. One person described themselves as “really traumatized,” while others claim they were yelled at and cursed at, bullied, picked on and retaliated against.
“There’s a culture of non-accountability for some people, and that needs to change,” a former employee told Rolling Stone.
“Kelly is fantastic. She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative,” another ex-employee said. “I would be shocked if she knew.”
Contacted by ABC Audio about the article, a rep for NBC Universal denied the allegations. A rep said in a statement, “We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate.”
“The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity,” the statement added.
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