For Ellen DeGeneres, the toxic workplace allegations that clouded her long-running daytime series marked the end of an era. This week, the comedian's public fallout became comeback material.
Two years after “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” aired its final episode in 2022, its 66-year-old host returned to the spotlight with a performance Thursday night in Largo at the Coronet Theatre. During her performance, the first of her Ellen's Last Stand…Up tour, DeGeneres joked to her audience: “I got kicked out of show business,” according to Rolling Stone.
“There are no bad people in show business,” he said sarcastically.
Multiple outlets reported that DeGeneres' set largely revolved around the controversy that colored the final year of her Daytime Emmy-winning show and soured public perception of the “Finding Nemo” comedian. In July 2020, a BuzzFeed News investigation detailed allegations of bullying and racism on the long-running show that challenged its host's “Be Nice” mantra. A second report details cases of alleged sexual misconduct involving the show's three top producers.
The fallout resulted in the departure of three members of the show's production team and the announcement that DeGeneres would end her show in 2022, after 19 seasons of memorable celebrity guest interviews, pranks and dance breaks.
DeGeneres reportedly lamented how she became the “most hated person in America” after the allegations went away, People reported. She also acknowledged that she “didn't know how to be a boss,” especially on a production as big and popular as her talk show, Rolling Stone said.
DeGeneres is no stranger to causing a stir in the daytime television space. She reportedly reminded audience members Thursday how her career was affected after coming out as a lesbian in a 1997 episode of the sitcom “Ellen.”
“This is the second time I've been kicked out of show business,” DeGeneres said. “In the end they are going to kick me out for the third time because I am bad, old and gay.”
Despite joking about her most recent fall from grace, DeGeneres said “it's been a huge toll on my ego and self-esteem,” before criticizing the “extremes in this business” of being idolized or hated. DeGeneres also contemplated who she is without her show and expressed her gratitude for the continued support of her wife Portia de Rossi, Rolling Stone reported.
DeGeneres concluded her evening at the Largo by answering questions from her audience. A fan reportedly asked how her 2022 scandal compared to the 1997 reaction, and DeGeneres responded, “It was very painful.”
She added: “I just hated the way the show ended. “I love that show so much and I hated the last time people saw me like that.”
DeGeneres returns to Largo on Friday and will perform several other shows at the West Hollywood venue through early June. In the summer, he will take his comedy to San Diego, Portland, Oregon and Santa Rosa, among other cities. You can find more information about his Last Stand…Up tour on his website.
