Katy Perry, Kevin Hart Stand by Ellen DeGeneres Amid Toxic Workplace Reports on Her Show

A social media campaign has called for the talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to step down following reports of a hostile work environment for employees on set.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has won multiple Emmy awards but both the talk show and DeGeneres herself have been under fire for weeks because of complaints by former productions staffers about a hostile workplace that included racism and bullying by upper management and claims that the comedian is mean-spirited. Warner Bros Television, which produces the talk show, conducted an internal investigation and said last week that staffing changes and other measures were being taken to address the issue.

Amid such claims against the show staffers, pop star Katy Perry and comedian-actor Kevin Hart have defended host DeGeneres.

Perry said in the matter, "I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow (sic)."

Defending DeGeneres, Hart shared, "The internet has become a crazy world of negativity (sic)."

Amid the claims, DeGeneres also emailed staff, expressing regrets about the gulf between the show’s happy public face and what was sometimes happening backstage. Rather than damping criticism, the developments led to the #ReplaceEllen hashtag, which went viral on Monday.

Users suggested that celebrities ranging from British singer Harry Styles to former US first lady Michelle Obama should take over the show. Warner Bros. Television on Monday did not respond to a request for further comment. Other celebrities like Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras and DJ Samantha Ronson also publicly supported DeGeneres.

(With inputs from Reuters)