Steve Harvey Defends Nasty Memo Telling Employees Not To Speak To Him
Steve Harvey is making no apologies for an infamous leaked memo in which he told employees not to speak to or approach him because he needed "more free time for me."
In a new interview with the New York Post, Harvey, who has become the new Ryan Seacrest by hosting numerous TV shows, tried to explain it.
"One thing I have learned is that I have no business sending out memos," Harvey admitted. But he blamed the incident on a disgruntled employee! Harvey was slammed after the "No Pop-Ins Memo," an e-mail to the staff of his daytime talk show, was leaked to the media.
"I want all the ambushing to stop now," Harvey wrote to his employees. "That includes TV staff. You must schedule an appointment. I have been taken advantage of by my lenient policy in the past. This ends now. NO MORE. Do not approach me while I’m in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly. Either knock or use the doorbell. I am seeking more free time for me throughout the day. Do not wait in any hallway to speak to me. I hate being ambushed. Please make an appointment. I promise you I will not entertain you in the hallway, and do not attempt to walk with me."
He also told the Star Tribune about his controversial memo, "I’m not really a mean-spirited guy at all. I’m really a congenial guy. But it’s kind of like you go home every day and all your kids are in the kitchen waiting on you and start hammering you. You need a moment. That’s all it was. It’s really not that big a deal."
Now, Harvey is focusing on the season six kickoff of his daytime show on Tuesday from a new city and with a format change. The irrepressible host has moved the Steve show from Chicago to L.A. so that viewers will see more celebrity guests. Family Feud, which Harvey previously taped in Atlanta, has also moved to L.A., along with Harvey’s daily syndicated radio show. And the star appears to be conquering TV as he also hosts Celebrity Family Feud, Funderdome, Little Big Shots and the upcoming Fox series Live at the Apollo.
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"I’m just a hard worker," he said.
Because of his TV success, Harvey has been getting the star treatment everywhere, including at the Las Vegas Mayweather/McGregor boxing match, where he merited a better seat than LeBron James.
Harvey was slammed on social media for being front and center at the fight.
RadarOnline.com has revealed many of Harvey's past scandals, including his messy divorce.
But as far as the memo goes, Harvey is unrepentant.
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