NEW YORK: Ellen DeGeneres this week opened the 18th season of her talk show that’s been mired in controversy for months with a broad apology that addressed allegations of a toxic workplace culture under her watch. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle It was the first time the staple of daytime US television publicly addressed the controversy surrounding her, after BuzzFeed News published a report over the summer detailing a culture of fear among her employees that included accusations of intimidation from the show’s management. “I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power and I realized that with that comes responsibility,” DeGeneres said in her opening monologue. DeGeneres said her program was kicking off a “new chapter.”