A memo that was sent from Steve Harvey to his staff surfaced online earlier this week on Robert Feder’s Chicago media blog telling employees not to approach him. “Do not come to my dressing room unless invited….Do not approach me while I’m in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly,” read the memo. “Do not take offense to the new way of doing business. It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment.” Sources tell Variety the memo was sent to his staff in Chicago before the start of the fifth season of his former daytime talk show, “Steve Harvey,” which ran for five seasons in national syndication. Starting this fall, the revamped show will tape in Los Angeles at Harvey’s request, with a new crew. Sources say the memo may have been leaked by a former staff member, who may not have been not invited to work on the new LA-based show.
Update--> Harvey commented on the email to ET's Kevin Frazier, saying that staff had taken "advantage" of the open door policy he had held previously and that he just wanted "the freedom to be able to move around." "Look, man, I'm in my makeup chair, they walk in the room," Harvey tells Frazier. "I'm having lunch, they walk in, they don't knock. 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."