The talk show host instructed his co-workers, "Do not approach me."
Steve Harvey did in fact send a memo to the staff of his talk show, instructing, "Do not approach me."
A source close to production on The Steve Harvey Show tells ET that the email that leaked on Robert Feder’s media blog on Wednesday afternoon is real and was sent to the entire staff. In the message, Harvey is adamant that his co-workers "adhere" to a new set of rules going into the next season of the show, which will now be taped in Los Angeles, California.
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"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," the memo reads. "I want all the ambushing to stop now. That includes TV staff."
Harvey adds in the email that he will only be speaking to staff by appointment. "Do not approach me while I’m in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly," he continues. "Do not wait in any hallway to speak to me. I hate being ambushed."
The 60-year-old comedian reasons that these he's looking to have more "free time" to himself throughout the day and does not want the staff to "take offense to the new way of doing business."
Harvey further explains, "It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment."
The source tells ET that Harvey does not have a bad reputation among the staff. "He's very polite, very respectful. He's not rude to anyone,” the source notes. “No one is afraid to walk around the office or anything like that."
"[He] just has people in his face all the time," the source continues. "We tape so long in a day. We go so many hours. And you often see him walking in the hallway to and from the stage and it’s not really the time to stop him to have a conversation."
The source further insists that Harvey has "never come off like a rude guy," adding, "We’re not 'on' all the time. These are real people who are tired.”
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On Thursday, another source who works on The Steve Harvey Show told ET that "Steve Harvey just addressed the crew, telling them he appreciated their work and time."
"The current moral of the staff is bad," the source added. "He's not friendly to staff or people in general."
This isn't the first time Harvey has sparked controversy. In January, he tweeted out an apology after making a joke about Asian men on his talk show while mocking a 15-year-old book titled, How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.
Director Ava DuVernay also took issue with Harvey in June 2015, claiming in a tweet that he went on a "homophobic rant on his show."
"I mean, c'mon. Really, sir?" the Selma filmmaker wrote. "All of that? Is it really necessary?"
ET has reached out to Harvey's reps in regard to the memo.
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