Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune just got hit with a major discrimination lawsuit (but it sounds like it was before Ryan Seacrest's time)

Despite the fact that it is two of the best game shows of all time, Danger! And Wheel of Fortune are not without controversies. That was just a few years ago Mike Richards was fired as executive producer of the series after past problematic behavior resurfaced when he declared himself the new one Danger! host follows Death of Alex Trebek. Now Sony Productions’ game shows are facing major complaints from two former employees, who say 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! for 26 and 23 years respectively, USA TODAY reports. While the issues reported to the California Civil Rights Department occurred before Ryan Seacrest made his Wheel of Fortune debuthe had started filming promos with Vanna White at least in February of this year, so the new host may in fact have crossed paths with Ballance Ellis and Diaz.

As head of the shows’ approval and licensing department — and reportedly the highest-ranking black production manager on staff — Shelley Balance Ellis said in court documents:

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

The former employee has drawn up a year of 2020 Wheel of Fortune production meeting as an example, where colleagues would joke 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 reported raising concerns about bias Danger! clues and called for “more inclusive, nuanced clues about people from diverse backgrounds.” The former director said she was not considered for promotions despite taking on additional work after three other producers left. She raised her concerns in 2023, according to the complaint, which stated:

I explained that I believe I had faced a glass ceiling at Sony as a black woman, undermining my colleagues’ claim that having white women in leadership 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‘s ‘Southern Charm Week’ 2017, in which Pat Sajak And Vanna White were shown in front of a plantation and two slave reenactors in antebellum clothing. The show reportedly apologized at the time.

Monique Diaz, meanwhile, described other behavior she allegedly witnessed, including the way participants of color were treated compared to their white counterparts. For example, comedian Leslie Jones was mocked by a production supervisor for asking to bring her own hairstylist. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

Employee concerns about racial bias were reportedly ignored, such as when Diaz, a Latina, learned she was making about $50,000 a year less 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 – Diaz’s supervisor – contacted Sony’s Chief Diversity Officer. Diaz’s pay was adjusted, but she still reportedly earned $15,000 less than her new colleague.

Sony responded to the complaints, telling USA TODAY that its leadership team at Wheel of Fortune And Danger! are “dedicated to promoting a culture of inclusivity and respect.” The statement continued:

Sony Pictures Entertainment takes all allegations of discrimination very seriously. Earlier this year there was a broad reorganization of our game show group that resulted in the elimination of several roles to address layoffs and changing business needs of a more than 40-year-old company. These eliminations were business efficiency decisions and not retaliatory measures.

We’ll have to wait and see if anything comes of these discrimination complaints, including if and how the game will feature the relatively new hosts – Ken Jennings And Ryan Seacrest – will be affected. In the meantime, check your local listings to see when the games will air in syndication in your area.