Ellen DeGenereshas opened up about the toxic workplace claims that saw her talk show shut down and her personally ‘kicked out of show business’ in 2022. Sharing her blunt thoughts on the ‘devastating’ impact the events had on her life, DeGeneres called for the world to have ‘more laughter and less drama.’
The Ellen DeGeneres Showwas a staple of daytime talk shows for almost 20 years, debuting in 2003 and running for 19 season and a total of 3,294 episodes beforecoming to an end under a cloud of controversy. On the back of a 2020 report published by Buzzfeed News, DeGeneres had to defend herself against reports that she created a “toxic workplace environment.” As perPeople, the comedian shared her reaction to the scandal while performing her latest stand-up routine in Los Angeles. During the routine, she said:
“[I was] kicked out of show business [for being] “mean.” [I became the] most hated person in America. 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. [People thought of me as a] one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps. [I didn’t dance during the scandal.] It’s hard to dance when you’re crying. [I] had a hard time [and] didn’t get out. [I was] in a funk. [My wife] Portia de Rossi… was watching it happen to me… she went through it with me. [Now] 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. [I] hated the way the show ended. [I] loved that show so much. [However, I’m happy to provide] joy [during] a scary time. I think that we need more laughter and less drama.”
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show
What Led to The Ellen DeGeneres Show Ending?
Ellen DeGeneres became a constant presence on daytime TV during the 2000s and 2010s. As well as appearing on her talk show, the star also made several appearances in movies, including her voiceroles in Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. However, everything changed following the release of Buzzfeed’s report in 2020, which saw several people making allegations against the talk show host and her on-set behavior.
The allegations were widespread, and included claims of racism, aggressive behavior, harassment, bullying, and intimidation. There was also a suggestion that complaints made at the time were not addressed properly, and that an employee of the show was sacked after they set up a GoFundMe page to pay for personal medical bills.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Ratings Hit All-Time Low Amidst Workplace Investigation
Ratings for Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show dipped nearly 30 percent following recent reports of toxic workplace culture.
When the report was published, the fallout was widespread. DeGeneres herself reacted to the claims with a personal apology, and subsequentlymade an on screen apology during the opening episode of Season 18of her show. Additionally, several executives were fired as a result of the report, and the show reportedly lost over one million viewers and 20% in ad revenue during that season.
Season 19 saw DeGeneres contract expire without being renewed, leading to the end of the long-running series, and the star stepping away from her public life.Only recently returningto stage with her new comedy show, it is clear that the shadow cast by the controversy has never left her, and it is unlikely that it ever will.
