“Extra” boss Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey, who ran shows like “Mafia”, gives up

Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey, the longtime executive producer of the Hollywood gossip show extraShe announced on Friday that she would step down from her post in September. The news came just months after The Daily Beast reported on the tabloid TV show a “toxic” work culture in which the top boss allegedly “bullied” employees, including some of his stars.

“I’m proud to be the longest-running executive producer of an entertainment show in America, but now is the time to move on,” she said The Daily Mail in an exclusive story published on Friday.

Gregorisch-Dempsey praised the “phenomenal team” of her “wonderful show,” adding that she will “leave with so many great memories.” Besides the post The announcement included flattering quotes from both the show’s current host Bill Bush and former host Mario Lopez.

“Lisa G is a ground-breaking, glass-ceiling-busting, inspirational person, woman and producer,” said Bush. “Our partnership will always hold a special place in my heart. I admire her, thank her and love her.” Lopez added, “Lisa G has been responsible for shaping me, not just as a host but as the person I have become today. She is super smart, funny and clever and I will always love and respect her. We were one hell of a double whammy. I have such fond memories of my time at extra.”

That post‘s article made no mention of The Daily Beast’s report, which featured a dozen current and former employees allegedly running from Gregorian-Dempsey extra like the “mafia” and even allegedly “threatened” Lopez when he considered leaving the show.

Gregorish-Dempsey, through attorney Marty Singer, vehemently denied all the allegations, branding them “reckless and defamatory”.

That post also failed to mention Warner Bros. Television Group’s “thorough third-party investigation of the show” and how additional allegations were made during that investigation. “We have already begun taking appropriate action based on our findings and once the investigation is complete we will take additional action as needed,” the studio noted earlier this year.

After Gregory Dempsey left, extra will be helmed by her current lieutenants, co-executive producers Theresa Coffino and Jeremy Spiegel, both of whom have been with the show for years. “I really leave the show in the best hands,” she said.

Gregorian-Dempsey claimed so post that her exit came as “the pandemic caused her to reconsider what she wants to do with her life,” and she decided to end it now rather than expire the final year of her contract.

She and her husband currently live in Naples, Fla. while the show continues to film in Burbank, California — an arrangement that has been contentious with the staff, The Daily Beast reported. “Lisa is so uninvolved,” said a longtime employee in April. “She literally blows herself up and then flies around in her plane on weekdays.” Her bosses at WarnerMedia apparently agreed, sources said at the time, telling Gregory-Dempsey she needed to appear at the Burbank studios at least once a month.

This requirement to appear more frequently in the California offices appears to have prompted Gregorian-Dempsey to exit.

“Working remotely for almost three years has been a life changing gift. As staff began returning to the office, I realized that returning to Los Angeles was a commitment I no longer wanted to make,” she said The Daily Mail. “I totally understand why return-to-work mandates make sense, especially for a day-and-date TV show like extrabut it’s not for me anymore.”

“She did not want [return to Burbank] and left her husband. That was their deal breaker,” according to a recent extra Staff told The Daily Beast. “So she’s retiring. I’m not sure how many people believe that.”

The clerk added: “The consensus is that she was coerced. Retire or get fired.”