Jeopardy And Wheel Of Fortune Just Got Hit With A Major Discrimination Lawsuit (But Looks Like That Was Before Ryan Seacrest’s Day)

Despite being two best game shows of all time, Danger! AND Wheel of fortune are not without controversy. It was just a few years ago Mike Richards was fired as the show’s executive producer after past issues resurfaced when he named himself new Danger! host tracking The death of Alex Trebek. Now the Sony Productions game show has faced serious complaints from two former employees who claim they experienced discriminatory behavior and were fired for reporting it.

Shelley Ballance Ellis and Monique Diaz were fired from Sony Pictures Entertainment in April after working on the film Wheel of fortune AND Danger! 26 and 23 years old, respectively, USA TODAY reports. Although the issues reported to the California Department of Civil Rights have occurred before Ryan Seacrest did his thing Wheel of fortune debuthe started filming promos with Vanna White at least until February of this year, so the new host could actually cross paths with Ballance Ellis and Diaz.

As head of the program approval and licensing department – and reportedly the highest-ranking black production executive on her staff – Shelley Balance Ellis stated in court documents:

The truth is that Sony and others were targeted by Sony because we opposed discrimination.

A former employee detailed 2020 Wheel of fortune as an example, a production meeting in which colleagues allegedly joked that a black woman’s hairstyle reminded them of the movie The Elephant Manto which Shelley Ballance Ellis reportedly asked them which part of the “joke” was funny.

She also said she expressed concern about bias Danger! guidance and advocated for “more inclusive, detailed guidance about people from different backgrounds.” The former executive stated that she was not considered for promotions, even though she took on additional work after the departure of three other producers. She expressed her concerns in 2023, according to the complaint, which said:

I explained that I felt as a black woman I faced a glass ceiling at Sony, countering my colleagues’ claims that having white women in leadership positions meant there was no glass ceiling for people of color or black women like me.

Shelley Ballance Ellis reported other actions she experienced that affected her and other employees, including Wheel of fortune“Southern Charm Week” 2017, in which Pat Sajak AND Vanna White shown in front of the plantation and two slave reenactors in pre-war costumes. The show reportedly apologized at the time.

Meanwhile, Monique Diaz detailed other behavior she allegedly witnessed, including the way female athletes of color were treated compared to their white counterparts. For example, comedian Leslie Jones was ridiculed by a production manager for asking to bring his own hairdresser to a film. Star fortune wheel.

Employees’ concerns about racial bias were reportedly dismissed, such as when Diaz, who is Latina, was told she was making about $50,000 less a year than a new employee who was white and doing the same job. No action was taken after she filed a human resources complaint, so Shelley Ballance Ellis, who was Diaz’s supervisor, contacted Sony’s chief diversity officer. Diaz’s salary was adjusted, but she was reportedly still earning $15,000 less than her new colleague.

Sony responded to the complaints, telling USA TODAY that the company’s leadership team Wheel of fortune AND Danger! are “committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect.” The statement continued:

Sony Pictures Entertainment takes all allegations of discrimination very seriously. Earlier this year, we underwent an extensive reorganization of our game show group, eliminating several roles due to layoffs and the changing business needs of an enterprise that has been in operation for over 40 years. These eliminations were decisions to improve business efficiency and were not retaliatory in nature.

We’ll have to wait and see if anything comes of these discrimination complaints, including whether and how the game portrays relatively new hosts — Ken Jennings AND Ryan Seacrest – it will have an impact. In the meantime, check your local listings to see when the games will be released in syndication in your area.