Highlights
- The Kelly Clarkson Show faces accusations of toxic work environments and underpayment of staff.
- Kelly Clarkson herself is not blamed for the issues, as she was apparently unaware of the mistreatment.
- The accusations primarily point to executive showrunner Alex Duda as the source of the problems.
Fans of Kelly Clarkson and her beloved eponymous show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, were shocked after an exclusive interview made headlines about toxic work environments. The TV show was the primary object of concern as former staff members anonymously revealed undesirable work experiences behind the scenes. Several issues were raised, ranging from mental health disregard to being overworked. This turned out to be one of the little-known happenings about the show.
The music star, who appeared to have been unaware of such treatment behind the scenes, tried to contain the situation. However, The Kelly Clarkson Show workplace exposé cast a negative light on the show. Amid all of these, staff salaries were also brought into question regarding whether they were well paid. Here’s what was revealed.
Is The Kelly Clarkson Show Staff Well-paid?
The structure of payment was one of the issues raised in the 2023 RollingStone exclusive that exposed the working conditions on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The ten former employees and one current staffer who shared their work experience revealed that they were underpaid because the number of tasks did not match the salary. They also cited several examples of unfair payments.
According to an Us Weekly source, the complaints were mainly about the compensation, while only a few staffers mentioned the toxic work environment. The insider shared, “It’s more about money. A few staffers may feel it’s a toxic work environment, but it’s not the consensus… It’s an emotional response to a low-pay situation.”‘
While addressing the low payment issue, a former employee told Rolling Stone they would be shocked if Kelly Clarkson knew that certain compensations were not given to them. This was mentioned because the ex-employee stated that Clarkson was not one of the toxic executives. They stated:
“I’d be floored if she knew the staff wasn’t getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus.”
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The staffers in question were described as veterans in the entertainment industry who discovered they were underpaid. The Us Weekly source noted that that was where the problems emanated from. The insider relayed:
“[They] were not getting paid anywhere near what others in the same position were getting on other successful shows.”
According to insider reports, when The Kelly Clarkson show started, “no one was sure if the show would even get picked up, so staffers got a low rate.” However, “that rate got locked in even when the show became a huge success.” The source stated, “Other than producers, people who started with Kelly didn’t have the same monetary success, including low-level crew and writers.” The show has had some memorable wholesome moments that contributed to its success, but the staffers claimed their earnings did not improve.
Through it all, Kelly Clarkson was exempted from the criticism. After the exposé became public, one staff member reaffirmed to Variety that the Because Of You crooner was not toxic to work with. The employee claimed that Clarkson sent them heartfelt messages during the Writers Guild strike. The star, who had faced a messy and expensive divorce, also promised to pay them out of her pocket amid the strike.
While the complaints rolled out in droves, most former employees pointed accusing fingers at executive showrunner Alex Duda. Before working on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Duda was an executive producer for The Steve Harvey Show and The Tyra Banks Show. She was described as “a monster’ who shielded Clarkson from seeing how “unhappy” her staff was.
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The anonymous staffers described how the structure was divided, so senior executives favored some employees. They also revealed that all complaints made to HR fell on deaf ears, as nothing changed. Someone stated, ‘I don’t know what HR does at that show frankly. Nothing of consequences happened.”‘
Kelly Clarkson’s profile, investments, and earnings, per Celebrity Net Worth:
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Kelly Clarkson |
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Birthdate |
April 24, 1982 |
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Profession |
Singer-songwriter, TV personality, voice actor, record producer, author, etc. |
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Career |
Active since 2003 |
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Investments and earnings |
Best-selling albums, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Voice (salary: 14 million), real estate, children’s books, etc. |
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Net worth |
$50 million |
How Kelly Clarkson Reacted To The Toxic Work Environment Claims
In light of the accusations that rocked her daytime show, Kelly Clarkson took to Instagram to address the situation. The Voice star began by writing, “In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I’ve always led with my heart and what I believed to be right.” Clarkson relayed that she loved her team at The Kelly Clarkson Show and felt it was “unacceptable” that anyone was “feeling unheard and or disrespected.” The Since U Been Gone singer added:
“I have always been, and will continue to be committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
She mentioned that as the show was moving to a new location, she was “more committed than ever to ensuring” that her team, both old and new, would be “comprised of the best and kindest in the business.” Kelly Clarkson went on to outline how she intended to achieve this. The mom-of-two shared:
“Part of that build will include leadership training for all of the senior staff, including myself. 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.”
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NBCUniversal, which was also accused of protecting the show because “it’s a new money maker,” also weighed in on the accusations. In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, the media company stated, “We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take work complaints very seriously. ” The statement also claimed that the insinuations were “untrue.”
It was mentioned that “when issues are reported, they are promptly reviewed.” NBC described The Kelly Clarkson Sow workspace as a place that “strives to build a safe, respectful, and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”
Source: NewsFinale
