Ryan Phillippe Just Shaded Ellen DeGeneres & Suggested She Isn’t as ‘Kind’ as She Seems

First-hand experience? Ryan Phillippe shaded Ellen DeGeneres after claims she created a “toxic” environment on her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The Cruel Intentions star took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday, October 24, to shade the comedian by posting a photo of him running before stopping in front of a billboard promoting The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  “And remember to be kind…. Wait,” he wrote. The caption poked fun at Ellen’s “Be Kind” mantra, which ex-employees claimed was contrary to what they experienced on set.

Though Phillippe hasn’t appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2011, his ex-wife, Reese Witherspoon, has been friends with Ellen for years and sat down with the host in March. Phillippe and Witherspoon divorced in 2008 after nine years of marriage; The couple share two children: daughter Ava Elizabeth, 21, and son Deacon Reese, 17. The actor also shares daughter Kai Knapp, 9, with ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp.

In September, Ellen responded to claims she created a “toxic environment” in the season 18 premiere of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Her apology came after 10 former employees and one current staffer alleged to BuzzFeed in July  that they experienced racism, fear and intimidation on the set of her talk show. A couple weeks later, BuzzFeed published another report where more staffers accused executive producers on the set of the Ellen show of sexual harassment and misconduct. WarnerMedia, the company that produces the Ellen show, launched an internal investigation into the claims.

“As you may have heard this summer, there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened that never should have happened. I take that very seriously,” Ellen said before a virtual studio audience in September. “I want to say I am so sorry to the people who are affected. I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and I realize that with that comes responsibility. And I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

She continued, “The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things. Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient — and I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress, and I am especially working on the impatience thing and it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough. I will tell you that.”