Ellen DeGeneres Jokes She Was ‘Kicked Out of Show Business’ for Toxicity Claims

Even though Ellen DeGeneres is looking back at her talk show with a sense of humor, she can’t deny that her unceremonious exit left deep wounds.

While performing her latest standup routine at the Largo in Los Angeles, California on Wednesday, April 24, The Ellen DeGeneres Show host, 66, joked about getting “kicked out of show business” for being “mean.”

The comedian was referring to a July 2020 BuzzFeed News report, in which current and former staffers spoke anonymously about their experiences on set, which included claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions and fear of retribution for raising complaints.

After musing about how she became the “most hated person in America” amid the swirling headlines, DeGeneres said that the ordeal reduced her television persona into a shell of its former glory.

“The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she recalled. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”

Noting how she ended her talk show each day by saying, “Be kind to one another,” DeGeneres joked that it became a “problem” because people started to think of her as a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.”

Shortly after her standup routine, the comedian held a Q&A sessions for fans in the audience. When asked if she continued to “dance” during the tough times, DeGeneres candidly admitted she was unable to practice what she preached on her show for a long time.

“No… It’s hard to dance when you’re crying,” she said, noting that she “had a hard time” and “didn’t get out” amid the scandal.

DeGeneres also said she was “in a funk” that started to effect wife Portia de Rossi. “She was watching it happen to me… she went through it with me,” she said of her wife of 16 years.

Despite “laying low” and becoming “persona non grata” for the second time since coming out as gay in 1997, DeGeneres said that she’s come to terms with what became of her career with the help of her wife and they’re both “dancing now.”

“I’m making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating,” she said. “It took a long time for me to want to do anything again.”

DeGeneres admitted that she “hated the way the show ended” because she “loved that show so much,” and added how she didn’t want her last time on Ellen to be marred by the public’s negative perception of her.

In a final note, DeGeneres told the crowd she was happy to return to the stage and provide some “joy” during “a scary time” to live. “I think that we need more laughter and less drama,” she said.

After an internal investigation regarding the alleged toxic workplace claims, DeGeneres apologized to her staff at the time, and three top producers — Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman — parted ways with the show. Staffers on the show also received increased benefits.

In May 2021, Degeneres announced that the once beloved daytime program would be concluding with its 19th and final season.

“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.

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DeGeneres has since been focused on the gorilla conservation campus that was founded in her honor in Rwanda and is slowly returning to comedy.