Years after she was deemed a “mean girl” on the set of her long-running talk show, Ellen DeGeneres is finally speaking out about the allegations.
According to SFGate, DeGeneres mentioned the situation during her recent “Ellen’s Last Stand…Up” show at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in San Rosa.
“Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” Ellen DeGeneres told the nearly sold-out crowd. “Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.”
DeGeneres was referring to the 2020 Buzzfeed report, which claimed that the former talk show host had played favorites, made comments about employees’ races, and even fired people for taking medical leave. She was also accused in a post on X (formerly Twitter) of firing someone for looking and speaking to her.
“I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me,’” Ellen DeGeneres said. “Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity.”
Although she admitted she was harsh and a “very immature boss,” Ellen said she wasn’t mean. “I can be demanding and impatient and tough. I am a strong woman.”
However, she didn’t apologize for the allegations. Instead, she said this wasn’t the first time she was kicked out of show business. She was referring to when she first came out gay in 1997.
“Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay, and mean, the triple crown,” she declared on stage.
Also during an after-show Q&A session, Ellen said she would done with public life following her upcoming Netflix special. “This is the last time you’re going to see me,” she declared. “After my Netflix special, I’m done.”
Ellen DeGeneres Cancels Four Upcoming Shows Of Her Final Stand-Up Comedy Tour
Following her performance at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Ellen DeGeneres made the decision to cancel four upcoming shows of her final stand-up comedy tour.
Ticketmaster posted an “event canceled” message to ticket holders of DeGeneres’ upcoming shows in Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago. All four shows were scheduled for July and August.
“Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event,” the message reads. “You don’t need to do a thing. We’ll issue a refund to the original method of payment used at time of purchase, as soon as funds are received from the Event Organizer. It should appear on your account within 14-21 days.”
Ticketmaster further pointed out that if the ticket was purchased by someone other than the ticket holder, “the refund will go to the fan who originally purchased the tickets from Ticketmaster.”
No details about the reason behind the cancellation were revealed in the message.