Back in 2020, Ellen DeGeneres found herself at the center of a surprising scandal.
Ellen stood accused of creating a hostile workplace, in which employees were mistreated, overworked, and pitted against one another in a hellishly competitive environment.
Shortly after the allegations became public, Ellen’s talk show came to an end after a run of 19 years.
The embattled comic laid low for a while after hosting her final episode.
US comedian Ellen DeGeneres introduces Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
But now she’s returned to her roots with a new standup tour.
The tour kicked off with a show in West Hollywood Wednesday night, and as expected, Ellen made some candid comments about the scandal that ended her TV career (at least for now).
Ellen DeGeneres Tells Audience She Was ‘Kicked Out of Show Business’
Ellen DeGeneres accepts the CAROL BURNETT AWARD onstage during the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal Media, LLC via Getty Images)
“What else can I tell you? Oh yeah, I got kicked out of show business,” DeGeneres told the sold-out crowd during the show, according to Rolling Stone.
“There’s no mean people in show business,” she added, with more than a trace of sarcasm.
From there, Ellen poked fun at the gap between her public image and the way she was described by her former employees.
Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres attend Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
As you may recall, Ellen used to end her show by urging viewers to “be kind to each other” — words of wisdom she allegedly failed to live by in her interactions with her staff.
“The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind,” she joked on stage this week.
“I became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps. Do you know how hard it is to dance up steps?” the comic continued.
Portia de Rossi and US comedian Ellen DeGeneres arrives for the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
“Would a mean person dance up steps? Had I ended my show by saying, ‘Go f–k yourself,’ people would’ve been pleasantly surprised.”
Ellen later addressed the scandal in a more serious fashion, explaining to the audience that she was a boss who “didn’t know how to be a boss” despite being the face of the show.
“I didn’t go to business school. I went to Charlie’s Chuckle Hutt,” she joked.
Ellen DeGeneres poses in the press room with the Carol Burnett award during the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5, 2020, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
“The show was called Ellen and everybody was wearing T-shirts that said ‘Ellen’ and there were buildings on the Warner Brothers lot that said ‘Ellen,’ but I don’t know that that meant I should be in charge.”
It might not be the apology that some of Ellen’s former staffers were hoping for.
But it seems the former daytime host is aware that she messed up — and she deserves credit for admitting it publicly.
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