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Comedian and former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is back in the spotlight, two years after the cancellation of her popular TV show amid reports of a toxic workplace environment created by her producers.
Ellen (66), who was performing a stand-up show at Club Largo in Los Angeles for her upcoming Netflix special, told the audience, "I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating".
Staff on her show alleged that producers had subjected them to racism and sexual harassment. The producers left the show which was subsequently cancelled after 19 seasons, with Ellen being branded "the most hated person in America".
Ellen, who was known for dancing and spreading positivity on her show, said the fallout ruined the image many people had of her, and left her questioning what had happened to her career.
The comedian would always end her show by telling the audience, "be kind to one another," but after the scandal broke, the headlines were that the 'be kind girl' wasn't kind.
"I became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps,” she joked.
“Do you know how hard it is to dance up steps? Would a mean person dance up steps? Had I ended my show by saying, ‘Go f*ck yourself,’ people would’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
After an internal investigation into the allegations of the show's toxic environment, Ellen apologised to her staff and increased their benefits.
During the Netflix special she also mentioned that her career was ruined after her '90s sitcom Ellen was cancelled and she came out as gay.
“For those of you keeping score, this is the second time I’ve been kicked out of show business. Eventually, they’re going to kick me out for a third time because I’m mean, old and gay,” she quipped.
Ellen said she decided to pull the plug on the talk show because it was time for it to end, but the intervening two years have been difficult for her.
“It’s been such a toll on my ego and my self-esteem. There’s such extremes in this business, people either love you and idolise you or they hate you, and those people somehow are louder.”
Away from the spotlight, Ellen said she's been coming to terms with what's happened to her career, with help from her wife of 16 years, actress Portia de Rossi.
She's been spending time at home, gardening, raising chickens and taking care of her mother, Betty DeGeneres (93) who has dementia.
“My mother doesn’t know she’s my mother and I’m trying to figure out who I am without my show."
SOURCES: BBC.COM, EONLINE.COM, INDEPENDENT.CO.UK, PEOPLE.COM
