Amidst the world coming to a standstill during the pandemic, Ellen DeGenres’ Emmy-winning show also came crashing down in 2020. The Ellen DeGeneres show concluded in May 2022 following an intense controversy surrounding toxic workplace accusations. Four years later, the notable show host still feels the chills of the aftermath.
Ellen DeGeneres made a comeback to the comedy sphere with a stand-up gig in Los Angeles this week where she addressed the repercussions of the controversy. She joked about how it influenced her life back then. At the peak of the issue, she was reportedly struggling to get out and her “be kind” tagline molded against her image.
Ellen DeGeneres reflects on talk show controversy
The 66-year-old comedian is finally breaking her silence on her standpoint during the 2020 controversy where multiple staff members of the show accused the execs, managers, and Ellen DeGeneres of culturing a toxic workplace. During her latest stand-up comedy appearance at the Largos in LA, the Emmy-winning host said, “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.” She revisited the backlash and put her point forward to the crowd through her comical flair on Wednesday, April 24.
Though the Ellen star cracked jokes about her reaction, she was having a rather “hard time” dealing with it back then, per People. With Ellen DeGeneres’ name on the show’s title, the news took a toll on her, mentally and professionally, and urged her to stay away from the limelight for two years since her show’s conclusion.
A following Q&A segment during her stand-up gig encouraged additional insights from the host. “No… It’s hard to dance when you’re crying,” DeGeneres shared after a fan asked if she “danced” through the backlash. “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,” the former American Idol judge added.
A 2020 BuzzFeed News report presented anonymous statements from several Ellen DeGeneres Show employees, alleging experiencing racial microaggressions, a toxic work environment, and ignorance of basic standards. Employees were reportedly fired for taking medical and bereavement leaves. While DeGeneres allegedly had no direct involvement, the employees claimed she should have taken more responsibility for the internal issues.
Where is Ellen DeGeneres now?
Several reports claim that DeGeneres returned to the entertainment industry by kicking off Ellen’s Last Stand…Up Tour on Wednesday night at Los Angeles’ Largo at the Coronet Theater. This marks her first project since The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended but as the name suggests, probably her last comedy gig? We don’t know yet.
After she performed a set, the comedian revealed that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi were “laying low” for some time following the backlash. The matter was so intense that the parent company, Warner Media had to launch an internal investigation after the NBC show’s viewership dropped significantly.
The host’s official site lists upcoming LA shows of her tour scheduled for June after which DeGeneres will be touring in the West Coast cities.
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