Ellen DeGeneres is back! Uh, kind of. On Wednesday night, the 66-year-old superstar did a standup comedy set at the Largo in El Lay. During her routine on stage — and also afterwards in a fan Q&A session — she opened up a bit to attendees about her controversial recent past!
Of course, Perezcious readers know that story all too well: news broke big in July of 2020 that then-current and former staffers on her eponymous daytime talk show had been mistreated on set. A seemingly endless parade of people claimed things ranging from being penalized for taking medical leave, to supposed racial micro-aggressions, to the fear of being punished for raising workplace culture complaints. The sum total created a MASSIVE toxic workplace scandal at the Ellen DeGeneres Show — with Ellen herself right in the center of it!
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An internal investigation was launched over the toxic workplace claims. Ellen eventually apologized to her staff, and three of the show’s top producers moved on from the project. And less than a year later, the whole thing ended. In May of 2021, the comedian announced that the daytime TV juggernaut’s 19th season would be its last. Now, fast forward three years, to this week — because Ellen is ready to speak out!
During her set at the Largo, DeGeneres joked about her daytime TV exit while also admitting that the pain of that whole process left some DEEP psychological wounds. For one, per People, she quipped on stage that she had become the “most hated person in America” amid the toxic workplace scandal, before getting “kicked out of show business” for it. Yikes! She recalled:
“The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news. The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”
Yep, pretty much!
She continued by joking that her daily “be kind to each other” talk show mantra became a “problem” in the wake of the toxic workplace claims. She was no longer a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.” And the headlines reflected it!! Then, in the Q&A sesh after her standup set, an audience member asked if Ellen has continued to dance at home to escape the tough times. She noted:
“No… It’s hard to dance when you’re crying.”
DeGeneres’ years-long funk following the controversy spread to loved ones, too. Referencing her wife of 16 years Portia de Rossi, Ellen said:
“She was watching it happen to me… she went through it with me.”
She went on:
“I’m making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating. It took a long time for me to want to do anything again.”
Things are apparently getting better, though. While she told the audience that she “hated the way the show ended,” she has since finally gotten past the mental and emotional fallout from it. As evidenced by her recent standup push, right? She noted that both she and Portia are “dancing now,” too, and added:
“I think that we need more laughter and less drama.”
That part is definitely true. Of course, Ellen and her team were the ones who started a lot of the drama — at least within her universe. So, ya know, take your own advice there! But still, it’s a nice message. And one we need in these hectic times! But what do U think, Perezcious readers?! Are you ready for an Ellen comeback?? She’s been laying low for a while — but is a major return on deck?? Share your takes in the comments (below)!
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