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'Do Not Come in my Dressing Room': Steve Harvey's Controversial Staff Rules Revealed

Steve Harvey is laying down the law.

In an alleged email sent by the daytime talk show host to his staff and published by robertfeder.com, Harvey outlines an admittedly strict set of restrictions issued at the start of the current season. Sources told 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 an attempt to find "more free time for me throughout the day" and end "ambushing," Harvey asks his staff to not enter his dressing room, approach him in the hallways or speak to him while getting his makeup done.

He writes in the reported message, "There will be no more meetings in my dressing room. No stopping by or popping in. NO ONE. Do not come into my dressing room unless invited."

"Do not open my dressing room door," Harvey warns. "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."

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Instead, Harvey says he will begin implementing an appointment-only process in order to avoid being "taken advantage of by my lenient policy in the past." He explains later on, "I hate being ambushed."

Additionally, Harvey requests individuals to knock or use the doorbell when entering his dressing room, but only if they've been asked to speak with Harvey directly. He then "promises" to "not entertain you in the hallway, and do not attempt to walk with me."

He concludes with a disclaimer, writing, "Everyone, do not take offense to the new way of doing business. It is for the good of my personal life and enjoyment."

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Harvey confirmed the story and offerred no apologies. 

"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 explained to ET's Kevin Frazier. "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."

 "Look man, I'm in my makeup chair, they walk in the room. I'm having lunch, they walk in, they don't knock," 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 don't apologize about the letter," Harvey added.

After five years filming "The Steve Harvey Show" in Chicago, production is set to end Thursday. Harvey is moving his syndicated program to Los Angeles, and the new series will premiere Sept. 12.

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