Regrets, she has a few. But then again, it’s not the end for Ellen DeGeneres.
As she returned to the stage at the Largo in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, the former Ellen DeGeneres Show host wasn’t afraid to talk about her sombre farewell to her long-running show. A sellout crowd of about 200 fans supported her and were excited to see her on her first night Ellen’s last stand…up tour.
“I’ve always said that I don’t care what other people think of me, and I realized I said that at the height of my popularity,” DeGeneres said, drawing laughter. “It’s such a waste of time worrying about what other people think…Right now I hope you’re thinking, ‘This is wonderful, I’m so happy to be here.’ But you might think, ‘Let’s see how this goes.'”
According to reports in People And Rolling StoneShe said she was “kicked out of show business” for the second time because she “was mean.”
She added ruefully: “There are no bad people in show business.”
DeGeneres joked that she would soon be ostracized for a third time for being “old, mean and gay.”
The most damaging incident in her career occurred in July 2020, when BuzzFeed News published a story based on anonymous quotes from her talk show staff. They complained that they were penalized for taking sick leave, that there were instances of racial microaggressions, and that they feared retaliation for filing complaints.
DeGeneres said the perceptions created by these allegations have destroyed her television personality. She announced the end of the show in May 2021.
“The hatred continued for a long time and I tried to avoid watching the news,” she remembers. “The ‘Be Kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”
DeGeneres said people began to view her as a “one-dimensional character who reveals things and dances up steps.”
During a question-and-answer session for fans in the audience, DeGeneres admitted she had a hard time afterwards.
“No…It’s hard to dance when you’re crying,” she said, noting that she “had a hard time” and “couldn’t get out” amid the scandal. This “funk” began to damage her relationship with Portia de Rossi. “She watched it happen to me…she went through it with me,” she said of her wife of 16 years.
“I joke about what happened to me, but it was devastating,” she said. “It took a long time before I wanted to do something again.”
DeGeneres said that she “hated the end of the show” because she “loved that show so much.”
Nevertheless, DeGeneres is getting back on his feet. She announced during the show that she will be recording a new Netflix special this fall.