1 of 2 | Steve Harvey (R) and his wife Marjorie Bridges-Woods arrive for the the National Academy of Television Arts & Science's 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 16, 2013. Harvey has responded to a leaked email he addressed to his staff on "The Steve Harvey Show." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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May 12 (UPI) -- Steve Harvey has explained his reasoning behind the leaked email he sent to his staff of The Steve Harvey Show asking them to no longer bother him in his dressing room or in the hallways.
"I could not find a way to walk from the stage to my dressing room, to sit in my makeup chair, to walk from my dressing room to the stage or to just sit and have lunch without somebody just walking in," Harvey said of his reasoning behind sending the email during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"I've always had a policy where, you know, you can come and talk to me -- so many people are great around here, but some of them just started taking advantage of it," he continued. "I'm in the hallway, I'm getting ambushed by people with friends that come to the show and having me sign this and do this. I just said, 'Wait a minute.' And in hindsight, I probably should've handled it a little bit differently."
"I just didn't want to be in this prison anymore where I had to be in this little room, scared to go out and take a breath of fresh air without somebody approaching me, so I wrote the letter," he added. "I don't apologize about the letter, but it's kind of crazy what people who took this thing and ran, man."
The email was shared on Chicago media reporter Robert Feder's blog. "There will be no meetings in my dressing room. No stopping by or popping in. NO ONE," Harvey wrote in the letter that was sent out at the start of the current season of The Steve Harvey Show.
"Do not come to my dressing room unless invited. Do not open my dressing room door. IF YOU OPEN MY DOOR, EXPECT TO BE REMOVED. My security team will stop everyone from standing at my door who have the intent to see or speak to me," the letter continues.
"Everyone, do not take offense to the new way of doing business. It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment."
The Steve Harvey Show which has been filmed in Chicago for five seasons, will be moving over to Los Angeles with a new production crew this fall and under the new program name of Steve. Sources speaking with Variety have said the memo may have been leaked by a staff member who was not invited to make the move to Los Angeles.
