Kalen Allen details fallout from Ellen DeGeneres Show’s workplace backlash

Kalen Allen has opened up about the challenges he faced after The Ellen DeGeneres Show wrapped in 2022, revealing that the workplace scandal surrounding the series affected him personally.

The 30-year-old actor and comedian appeared on the March 25 episode of With Love with Ty Cole, reflecting on his experience as a frequent guest and host of the show’s YouTube series, OMKalen.

“What I am grateful for is, while I was watching it and learning how to do it, I was also watching and learning how not to do it,” Allen said, referencing the workplace backlash against host Ellen DeGeneres. 

“It became a scarlet letter for all of us that worked at the show. It became so much about tearing her down that people didn’t realize it was also really hurting everybody that was there.”

Allen admitted that the aftermath made it difficult to book work. “It took forever for people to even book me. I couldn’t get a job,” he said. 

He also recalled a producer from the show approaching his manager about another opportunity and dismissively commenting, “He’s just a little too close to Ellen.”

Despite the setbacks, Allen said the experience taught him important lessons about navigating his career and staying true to himself. 

“I realized that I wanted to be more of myself,” he said, noting that he moved beyond creating food videos and expanded into other projects.

Since leaving Ellen, Allen has found continued success, appearing in A Black Lady Sketch Show, the films An American Pickle and Meet Me Next Christmas, and hosting the revamped FOX Reality Check on YouTube.

The controversy surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show began in 2020 after a Buzzfeed News report detailed allegations of workplace mistreatment, including racism and overwork. 

While no allegations were made directly against DeGeneres, the scandal cast a shadow over the show and its employees.

During her 2024 stand-up special Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, the host addressed the fallout, saying she “had a hard time” and “didn’t get out” amid the scandal. “I hated the way the show ended because I loved that show so much,” she added.