Kelly Clarkson is addressing recent allegations of a toxic work environment behind the scenes of her daytime talk show.
The Kelly Clarkson Show host took to Instagram Friday night, writing, “In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I’ve always led with my heart and what I believed to be right. I love my team at The Kelly Clarkson Show, and to find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable.”
Her response comes after a Rolling Stone report, published Friday, that alleges the show’s producers “overworked” and “underpaid” employees behind the scenes. Employees also claimed that working on the daytime talk show was traumatizing to their mental health.
The complaints came from one current and 10 former employees who spoke to the magazine anonymously. One former employee said, “I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry, being like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?’”
Another former staff member specifically said, “I think Alex Duda’s [execitive producer] a monster. I have a friend who’s an executive producer who warned me about taking this job, because apparently she has done this on every show she’s worked on.”
Employees did say Clarkson was “fantastic” and that they “would be shocked if she knew” what was going on. Another staffer added that the host has “no clue how unhappy her staff is.”
Clarkson’s statement continued, “I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show. As we prepare for a move to the East Coast, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that not only our team that is moving, but also our new team in NY, is comprised of the best and kindest in the business.”
“Part of that build will include leadership training for all of the senior staff, including myself,” the statement read. “There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best version of ourselves in any business. Especially when it comes to leadership, to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”
