During her recent standup routine at the Largo in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, April 24, Ellen DeGeneres joked about being “kicked out of show business” for being “mean.”
The 66-year-old host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show referenced a July 2020 BuzzFeed News report in which current and former staffers spoke anonymously about their experiences on set, including claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions, and fear of retribution for raising complaints.
“The hate went on for a long time, and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she recalled. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”
She joked about how her daily sign-off, “Be kind to one another,” became problematic as people started to see her as a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.”
Following her routine, DeGeneres candidly admitted during a Q&A session with fans that she struggled to maintain her upbeat persona during the tough times, confessing, “It’s hard to dance when you’re crying.”
DeGeneres reflected on becoming the “most hated person in America”
She revealed how the controversy affected her personally, acknowledging the support of her wife of 16 years, Portia de Rossi, who also went through it with her.
Despite the challenges, DeGeneres expressed gratitude for returning to the stage and spreading joy during “a scary time” in the world. She emphasized the need for more laughter and less drama.
After an internal investigation and subsequent changes within her show, DeGeneres apologized to her staff and announced the conclusion of her program’s 19th and final season in May 2021.
“I’m glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention. I promise to do my part in continuing to push myself and everyone around me to learn and grow,” said Ellen DeGeneres in an apology letter.
She has since been focusing on her gorilla conservation campus in Rwanda ,and it seems we will be seeing her back to comedy pretty soon. But, is the internet ready to forgive Ellen? We’ll see.
