Ellen DeGeneres' wife Portia de Rossi calls out 'bots' while defending her and it hasn't gone down well

Ellen DeGeneres’ wife, actor Portia de Rossi, has waded into the controversy surrounding the TV star’s chat show – but it has not gone down so well with people online.

DeGeneres issued an apology last week following reports of a toxic workplace environment on the set of her show.

Later, Warner Bros said it would make staffing changes after an internal investigation found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”.

Since then DeGeneres has faced calls to step down with many fans listing celebrities who would be perfect to replace her.

Possibly in an attempt to simmer down the flames, her wife, the Scandal actress Portia De Rossi, has now shared a message of support for DeGeneres on Instagram adding the hashtag #stopbotattacks.

But many people didn’t like the fact that De Rossi suggested that anyone who did not believe the accusations could be 'bots'.

Others made fun of De Rossi’s reasoning:

Meanwhile, De Rossi’s social media activity led to an alternative replacement suggestion:

DeGeneres is one of the biggest names on US TV and has hosted the Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003.

Recently, a Buzzfeed News investigation made a series of claims about the alleged toxic culture on the day time talk show.

Buzzfeed spoke to former employees who made allegations of racism, unfair dismissal, intimidation, and an overall toxic environment, perpetuated by the show’s senior producers.