Ellen DeGeneres, once known as America's favorite TV host, admitted that the toxic workplace scandal had tarnished her reputation and branded her the “most hated person in America” and turned her into a hermit.
However, she has now embarked on a comeback with her stand-up comedy tour, marking her first return to the spotlight since the scandal broke, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The scandal surrounding her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Showled to its cancellation in 2022 after 19 successful seasons on NBC.
As RadarOnline.com reported, former employees accused her of creating a toxic work environment filled with alleged bullying, racism and sexual harassment. Despite this, DeGeneres claimed she was unaware of any toxicity behind the scenes.
This prompted WarnerMedia to launch an investigation, which ultimately led to the show's series finale airing on May 26, 2022.
Performing at Club Largo to a sold-out crowd, DeGeneres spoke of her downfall, claiming she was “kicked out of show business” because she was “mean.”
Her stand-up show, “Ellen's Last Stand… Up Tour,” is her first comedy tour since 2018. According to Rolling stoneshe received thunderous applause, which meant a positive response from her fans during her show on Wednesday, April 24.
“The hate went on for a long time and I tried to avoid the news. The 'be nice' girl wasn't nice. That was the headline,” Ellen told the LA crowd.
“There are no mean people in show business… I became a one-dimensional character who gave things away and danced on steps,” she continued. “Do you know how hard it is to dance steps? Would a mean person dance steps? If I had ended my show by saying, 'Go ahead,' people would have been pleasantly surprised.”
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The former TV host admitted she “didn't know how to be a boss” and told the audience she “went to 'Charlie's Chuckle Hutt' instead of business school.”
“The show was mentioned Ellen, and everyone was wearing T-shirts that said 'Ellen,' and there were buildings on the Warner Brothers lot that said 'Ellen,' but I don't know if that meant I had to be in charge,” she explained.
“For those of you keeping score, this is the second time I've been kicked out of show business,” she told the audience. “They're going to end up kicking me out for the third time because I'm mean, old and gay.”
“I love that show so much, and I just hated that the last time people would see me was like that.”
The former talk show host said she was “disillusioned” for two years but was finally able to dance without “crying.”
“I joke about what happened to me, but it was devastating. It took me a long time before I wanted to do anything again.”
She ended her set by telling her audience that she thinks the world needs “more laughter and less drama.”
