Over the past few months, people have started to feel free to spill the tea on Ellen DeGeneres. It’s been rumored for years that she’s not-so-secretly a deeply unpleasant person. Kevin T. Porter started a Twitter thread where people could leave their Ellen stories, and I believe so many of the stories on that thread, especially the ones about Ellen being rude AF to service workers and the “peasants” around her. Variety also reported that Ellen completely blanked on her crew and TV staff during the quarantine – they were left unpaid and uncertain if they would have a job to come back to (meanwhile, nearly every other TV host has checked in on their people and paid staff out of pocket). Now all of that stuff is starting to filter down to the tabloid media, and Us Weekly has a story about how Ellen has reacted to all the criticism:
Ellen DeGeneres ends every episode of her talk show with, “Be kind to one another,” but she has been hit with a number of allegations in recent weeks that she is mean to staffers, guests and other people behind-the-scenes.
“Ellen is at the end of her rope,” a source reveals exclusively in the new issue of Us Weekly. “She thought this was all just sour grapes from a few haters. But it’s not a passing thing — the hits just keep coming.”
It all started in April when beauty YouTuber Nikkie de Jager (a.k.a. NikkieTutorials) accused DeGeneres, 62, of being “cold and distant” when she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in January. That same month, the comedian came under fire for joking that being quarantined in her $27 million mansion during the coronavirus pandemic is “like being in jail.” In addition, Variety reported that the crew on DeGeneres’ show had been left in the dark about their jobs and pay during the global crisis, and her former bodyguard publicly called her “cold” and “dehumanizing.”
Through it all, the Emmy winner has leaned on her wife, Portia de Rossi, and some trusted pals. “Ellen’s so grateful to have Portia in her life as a soulmate and a sounding board, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy,” a second source tells Us. “Their home life is strained right now. … Her real friends never ask her to be funny or tell jokes. They accept her as is.”
And at the end of the day, DeGeneres’ ratings continue to soar, which indicates that the backlash has not affected her show. “Ellen’s been in our homes for so long, it’ll take a lot more than a bodyguard and a blogger to change how people feel about her,” the second insider notes. “Her best response is just being happy Ellen on the show every day.”
I mean… is the story “Poor Ellen, she has to deal with all of these stories about how she’s a horrible person who treats people like sh-t”? That’s the angle? And of course she thinks it’s all “sour grapes” from “a bodyguard or a blogger,” because she’s that out of touch and stuck up her own ass and who are these mere peasants to talk sh-t about her?? As for the complaint that this criticism is gendered, that we wouldn’t be talking about this if a dude wasn’t nice to peasants… I mean, I think *some* of the stories about Ellen’s “bad behavior” might be slightly sexist. If it was a one-off story or something. But the sheer volume of her sh-tty behavior added to the fact that she hasn’t bothered to even do a cursory check-in with her TV staff? Yeah. I’m pretty comfortable saying that she’s an a–hole. And it wouldn’t be so notable if she didn’t design her whole f–king brand around “be kind.”
Photos courtesy of ABC, WENN.
People defending Ellen by saying she’s being criticized because she’s a woman keep overlooking that this is someone whose literal brand is BE KIND. I do think women are held to higher expectations for niceness, but in this case, she’s being hoisted on her own petard.
People are now so conditioned to call every little thing sexist or racist to prove how woke they are. They are losing the ability to think and discern. This is not about gender, this is about a human who is an asshole.
+1
There is more than one story and the fact that she let her staff hanging high and dry is a testament of how she is as a person. This isn’t a sexist thing. She is not nice.
She’s stl geting the numbers. If she retires she stil has made more $ than most
She certainly has thick skin, no?
Not a fan at all. So phony!
Ah, thanks, SJR. That’s the word I was looking for. Phoney. I cannot stand her.
Exactly. For years and years, she touts kindness. Volumes of assholery can’t escape the masses without arrows.
You can tell a person’s character completely in how they treat someone they don’t have to treat well.
Ellen treats people she deems “beneath” her poorly. She’s trash, scrape her off. I do feel and for Portia. It’s seems the longer she is with Ellen the more her life resembles a hostage video
Oh I’m always disappointed when stories feature ‘sources’ rather than direct quotes. Looking forward to the day Ellen minimizes it all herself. What Id give to be a fly on the wall of her and Portia’s mansion. I think it would be a living hell 🙂
This story had sourced quotes.
I think SamSam means sources regarding Ellen’s reaction to this. yes, the info about Ellen being a jerk were absolutely sourced and on the record but the “sources” for this article about POOR POOR ELLEN are not named.
Tiniest of violins.
Did the writer check on the source that said “ratings are higher then ever”? Doubt it.
I bet they are though, just because so many more people are home and flipping through the channels. I bet a lot of people stop on her because they think she is a known quantity and she usually has good guests.
“And at the end of the day, DeGeneres’ ratings continue to soar, which indicates that the backlash has not affected her show.”
I’m not surprised. I’ve been convinced for a while the majority of her fan base is made up of idiots. Don’t believe me? Watch the Q&A segment of her last Netflix special and listen to the questions asked of her. Or just consider the audience members who gleefully take part in her skits or “games” that are so obviously demeaning and mean-spirited.
I hate her “games.”
One, I saw in passing so I can’t remember much other than she hid in a bathroom or something and leapt out at her guest and scared the sh/t out of the person as a “prank.” And I thought: “wow, I hope that person doesn’t have PTSD,”and wondered what would happen if Ellen actually ever did “prank” someone with this affliction. Maybe the person would faint or cry or otherwise be traumatized horribly. What then?
For Ellen, it may be fun and amusing to jump out at her guests and scare them on camera. But for someone with PTSD, it could be a veritable torture.
And I’ve looked upon Ellen with disdain ever since.
would be funny if she tried that sh*t with a person like you describe who ALSO happens to have learned some martial arts and winds up popping her in the face.
“BOO!”
*PUNCH BAM SMASH* as Ellen hits the floor shrieking “MY NOSE!”
that’s ratings, right there.
Oh man, as someone who has this and is very jumpy I go into fight mode when people surprise me. She’s lucky she hasn’t been hurt by someone she’s pranked like this. People are not in control of their fight or flight responses.
It’s these games and the way she treats “regular people” on the show (making fun of the photos and videos people send the show) that convinced me the stories are true. She’s clearly so messed up that she thinks these things show her in a good light. As Maya Angelou says, when someone shows you who they are, believe them.
It was Taylor Swift she jumped out at in a bathroom.
God, she’s awful.
No, you geck, people are calling you out because you’re a horrible, rude, nasty, uncaring, up yourself beearch, and all made worse by trying to present y;urself as Mrs Nicenkind. It ain’t working. Pay your staff, make sure they’re ok and have a job to go back to, get your stupid head out of your arse, and find some humility and resoect for ypur fellow humans. . This global health crisis has been a great leveller, even if one is imprison in a $27 million mansion.
I can’t believe, during this pandemic, that she wouldn’t pay her staff. That is just despicable. She’s a horrible person.
Yes! You’d think after the backlash – which was weeks ago – she’d have just done it. There’s been no word she has, though. Hmmmm….
if it were anyone else, I might have a modicum of sympathy. But this is Ellen, and she’s been this way for YEARS while masquerading as a saint. The reason she lays it on so thickly is because she’s a tyrant behind the scenes. I never really trusted her and I’m glad to see my instinct was correct.
Actually, whatever poor PR person had to come up with this spin, her best response would be to reassure her crew and PAY THEM. And also follow her own advice and be kind.
That thread with people sharing the stories about her got over 2600 replies – some in defense of her, but a LOT of stories of people witnessing her poor behavior or working for or near her. This was more than “a blogger and bodyguard”.
I cancelled Ellen years ago for her racist attitude towards Indigenous peoples (I am sure there are many more reasons to cancel) so I am celebrating this downfall.
I’m old enough to remember her original sitcom, and I thought she seemed mean then.
Decades ago, I had a friend who was on Oprah’s show when she was still local in Chicago. And she said that Oprah was really cold and fake, and only nice when the camera was rolling. But in fairness to Oprah, my friend was a teenager at the time, and may have misinterpreted the difference between off-camera professionalism and on-camera empathy.
However, I still get a chuckle from watching the MadTV skit where Oprah loses it, and decimates her audience by breathing out a poisonous green fog.
I’ve dealt with Oprah in business. Believe me, she is cold & fake, nothing like the warm & fuzzy person she pretends to be in front of the cameras.
Did you see the South Park episode about Oprah. Hilarious!.
I found the comment about Portia, their home life not being great and that her (Ellen’s) real friends don’t ask her to be funny etc.. That was a passive aggressive way to a) say that their relationship isn’t great and b) its all Portia’s fault.
Ellen has been messing with her face.
I have a friend who at one time had close contact with Ellen through her work for an extended amount of time. She still works in Hollywood and has celebrity friends so her standard is to not really say much about celebrities since she says spreading gossip is a good way to loose a job in her industry. She has never really commented much about Ellen. When this story first made it’s rounds after the twitter thread started the only thing she said was something like she wasn’t surprised at all these people telling about their horrible experiences with Ellen. She has made positive comments about Portia in the past though.
A friend of mine used to spend a fairly significant amount of time with Ellen as a peer/friend, and the stories of how truly NOT nice that woman is are true. The vibe people are getting from her treatment of Portia is right on. Ellen is a jerk.
I had long suspected she was nice to Portia or the relationship wasn’t really between equals. That is too bad. I like Portia.
Portia seems like she got the short end of their deal when they got together. She’s a great comedic actress but doesn’t have a very high profile.
Personally, I hate the type of person who is constantly buying, selling, flipping, leaving empty real estate properties. It points to a weirdly dissatisfied personality (to me) and Ellen has been obsessively trading house around LA for decades.
*This is not the same as owning multiple houses, like on by the beach or in NYC.
“Her real friends never ask her to be funny or tell jokes. They accept her as is.” This is her defense? No one is saying she has to be “on” or play the court jester to everyone she meets. They only want to be shown some basic human decency and common courtesy. She’s gone way too far in the other direction and people are rightfully calling her out on it. Can’t stand a kiss up/kick down kind of person. She is truly up her own arse if this is her reaction to people’s criticism of her behavior. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to work for her.
So her problem is being distant? Comb people…
Well I’m really looking forward to the movie they make about all of this starring Kate McKinnon.
I am not sure how this all can be spinned as hate/sexist/sour campaign. It is enough to youtube a clip of her show and judge for yourself. She is rude and ignorant. Even with the stars she interviews she makes it all about herself. It’s bot a stretch to then conclude that these stories are indeed true. Even in quarantine when she interacts with her soulmate wife, it feels like she is looking down on Portia. And this inside info does show that she is rather concerned about what someone says about her rather than what she does. And poor Ellen, the world demands her to be funny. Her friends do not demand a joke probably because they do not want to pretend she is funny