Ellen DeGeneres Says She Was 'Kicked Out Of Show Business' For Fostering Toxic Work Environment

Ellen DeGeneres for long, enjoyed a place of prominence as one of the foremost faces in the world of television. The dream run however, cut short in 2020 when a detailed report unveiled recurring patterns of "racial insensitivity, sexual harassment and bullying behind the scenes" - as quoted by The Guardian. Ellen is now finally addressing the same, reflecting on her downfall, with her characteristic tinge of humour.

Ellen DeGeneres recalls becoming 'the most hated person in America'

In her latest standup routine, at the Largo in Los Angeles, Ellen DeGeneres spoke about being "kicked out of show business" for being "mean". The allegations against DeGeneres came as a true shock, considering how her trademark sign off for her talk show episodes, used to be "be kind to one another". 

As per a People report, Ellen 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." The Q&A session that followed, saw Ellen assume an even more candid demeanour, in how she weathered the storm post her social demise. Describing it as a "funk" that was also impacting her wife of 16 years, Portia de Rossi, Ellen reflected, "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."

What was the fiasco surrounding Ellen DeGeneres?

A July 2020 BuzzFeed report, saw Ellen DeGeneres being unveiled as promoting a toxic work environment. As per The Guardian, the BuzzFeed report carried "detailed allegations of racial insensitivity, sexual harassment and bullying behind the scenes, based on interviews with 36 former staffers." While the BuzzFeed report did not directly attack Ellen herself, the interviews with the staffers alleged how her "be kind" motto was performative, and not a true reflection of the energy harboured on set.

As a result, her The Ellen DeGeneres Show, came to an abrupt end in 2022, with its 19th season.