TV host Steve Harvey presents the outstanding morning program award during the 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, California June 16, 2013. Harvey hosts "Family Feud." (Reuters)
Steve Harvey has been embroiled in yet another controversy but this time he won’t be apologizing.
The talk show host admitted to Entertainment Tonight on Thursday that a leaked memo he sent to his staff telling them not to approach him was authentic.
The memo, shared on Robert Feder's media blog, read in part, "I’d like you all to review and adhere to the following notes and rules for Season 5 of my talk show.
"There will be no meetings in my dressing room. No stopping by or popping in. NO ONE... Do not open my dressing room door. IF YOU OPEN MY DOOR, EXPECT TO BE REMOVED... Do not approach me while I’m in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly. Either knock or use the doorbell."
Harvey stood by the memo in a chat with Entertainment Tonight.
"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," he said. "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 said some colleagues have become a bit overzealous.
"Look man, I'm in my makeup chair, they walk in the room. 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."
The memo included the line "I want all the ambushing to stop now. That includes TV staff." And Harvey wrote, "I promise you I will not entertain you in the hallway, and do not attempt to walk with me."
The TV personality said he simply wanted respect for his personal space.
"If you come out your house, you don't want anybody on your porch waiting on you. You walk to your car, you don't want people bothering you on your way to your car. Everybody wants the freedom to be able to move around,” said Harvey.
He also compared his dressing room to a prison.
“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,” Harvey said. “I don't apologize about the letter, but it's kind of crazy what people who took this thing and ran, man."
Steve Harvey’s reps did not return Fox News' requests for comment.
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