August 16, 2020 | 2:04pm
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Kevin Hart and Ellen DeGeneres P&P / MEGA
Ellen DeGeneres was spotted Saturday with pal Kevin Hart, shortly after the “Jumanji” actor defended the embattled star amid allegations of toxicity at the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Dressed in a printed navy blue top, beige cargo pants and sandals, DeGeneres, 62, lunched with Hart, 41, at the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, where she was seen sipping white wine while chatting with Hart, who wore a light blue shirt and matching shorts.
Earlier this month, Hart joined a chorus of celebrities — including Katy Perry, Scooter Braun, and Diane Keaton, among others — voicing support for DeGeneres, who has recently come under fire over claims that she created a toxic work environment. Former “Ellen” staffers have also accused top executives at the show of sexual misconduct .
“It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly,” Hart posted to Instagram in early August. “I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f–king planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity….we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It’s honestly sad…When did we get here?
“I stand by the ones that I know and that I love,” he continued. “Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another….this hate s–t has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon….This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences….It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen…”
Last month, WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation in response to the claims. DeGeneres later addressed the allegations in a statement.
“As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t,” DeGeneres wrote. “That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”