First appeared on E!online
Ellen DeGeneres is revealing all.
Two years after leaving her eponymous daytime talk show (which was mired in toxic workplace allegations during its final year), the comedian reflected on the controversy and its impact on her. .
“I got kicked out of show business,” DeGeneres quipped on April 24 during a stand-up comedy set at the Coronet Theater in West Hollywood, according to Rolling Stone. “There are no mean people in show business.”
“The girl who said, 'Be kind,' wasn't being kind,” the 66-year-old continued. “I became a one-dimensional character who gave things away and danced up the stairs. You know how hard it is to dance up the stairs? Do you want to dance?”
In 2020, 11 current and former employees of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” detailed their experiences on the talk show in what they described as a toxic work environment in an explosive BuzzFeed News report. Some mentioned facing allegations of microaggressions, favoritism by executive producers, and surprise terminations.
Former Ellen DeGeneres show employee claims she was exposed to 'toxic work environment'
In addition to an internal memo vowing to improve, the comedian apologized in the season 18 premiere's opening monologue, adding, “I take that very seriously and I want to say I'm truly sorry to those who were affected.”
When the show went off the air two years later, DeGeneres claimed it wasn't because of workplace allegations, but rather because she felt the time was right. However, she has since kept a low profile for many years, until she returned to the stage in the comedy show “Ellen's Last Stand…Up Tour.''
And for her, returning to her comedy roots also seems to be a way to untangle the show. After all, she also admitted that she “didn't know how to be her boss.”
“I didn't go to business school,” she continued. “I went to Charlie's Chuckle Hat. The show was called 'Ellen,' and everyone was wearing T-shirts that said 'Ellen,' and there was a building on the Warner Brothers lot that said 'Ellen.' But I don't know if that meant that it was written as “Ellen.'' “
She also draws parallels to the cancellation of her comedy show Ellen in 1998 as a result of her coming out as gay.
“For those of you who know, this is the second time I've been kicked out of show business,” DeGeneres said. “They'll end up kicking me out for the third time because I'm mean, old, and gay.”
But more than that, the comedian opened up about his mother Betty DeGeneres' battle with dementia and his own struggles with this new chapter in his life, sharing insights and expressing his struggles.
“My mom doesn't know she's a mom, and I'm trying to figure out who I am without the show,” she explained.
It's finally time for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to come to a close. Ellen announced on her social media this week that she has taped the final episode of her own namesake talk show, which will air on May 26th.
