Ellen DeGeneres announced yesterday that the upcoming 19th season of her once-hit daytime talk show will be her last, claiming the show is “just not a challenge anymore” and she’s moving on. Now, in a sit-down interview with Savanah Guthrie of Today, she’s finally addressing her summer of scandal last year that included allegations of a toxic workplace, bullying, and harassment.
In the interview, which aired this morning, DeGeneres said she’s still surprised by the onslaught of attacks she received and rumors of her show’s toxic environment, but she insisted that’s not the reason behind her decision to call it quits.
When Guthrie asked point-blank if she felt like she was “being canceled,” the comic replied: “I mean, I really don’t understand it. I still don’t understand it. It was too orchestrated. It was too coordinated.”
She added, “And you know, people get picked on, but for four months straight for me, and then for me to read in the press about a toxic work environment when all I have ever heard from every guest that comes on the show is what a happy atmosphere this is and what a happy place it is.”
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But DeGeneres also told Guthrie that “if it was why I was quitting, I would have not come back this year. I really did think about not coming back. It was devastating. I am a kind person. I am a person who likes to make people happy.”
“If it was why I was quitting, I would have not come back this year. I really did think about not coming back because it was devastating.” -Ellen DeGeneres on the claims of a toxic workplace at her talk show pic.twitter.com/i3LMY3XycD
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 13, 2021
She also denied having any knowledge of her show’s toxic work environment prior to the reports last summer.
“I had no idea, never saw anything that would even point to that,” she said. When Guthrie pushed back and said there are probably a lot of people who won’t believe that, DeGenres replied, “I don’t know how I could have known when there is 255 employees here, and there are a lot of different buildings, unless I literally stayed here until the last people goes home at night.”
She added that she wishes “somebody would have come to me and said, ‘Hey, there is something that you should know about.'”
Did you feel like you were being canceled? –@SavannahGuthrie
I really didn’t understand it, I still don’t understand it … it was too orchestrated, it was too coordinated.” -Ellen DeGeneres pic.twitter.com/bBTk4hLKqk
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 13, 2021
DeGeneres also revealed that she worked “really hard” with a therapist to help make sense of the attacks being lodged against her and ultimately concluded that her gender played a role in how she was being treated.
“I have to say — if nobody else was saying it — it was really interesting because I’m a woman, and it did feel very misogynistic.”
“I am not bulletproof, and no I do not have a thick skin,” she added. “I am extremely sensitive, to the point where it is not healthy how sensitive I am. When something is coming back at me that I know is not true, I guess I could take one or two of those shots, but four months in a row took a toll on me.”
“I don’t have a thick skin. I mean, I’m extremely sensitive.” -Ellen DeGeneres pic.twitter.com/lOhBTjryCv
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 13, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Cam
Except for the fact that a HUGE number of complaints about abusive, illegal toxic behavior were from women.
But this is the same B.S. people like Sarah Palin and Sarah Huckabee used, they tried to say that any complaints about them were sexist.
Joshooeerr
And the source of the toxicity was not only executives on the show, but Ellen herself. Just this week one of her earliest producers on the show – a woman – specifically described how Ellen was routinely dismissive, rude and obnoxious on a daily basis. It’s the same behaviour that people in the TV industry with power have been getting away with for years because nobody ever thought they could complain. But now they’re being called out.
James Hart
Blaming misogyny is the last refuge of the scoundrel. She should take ownership for her behavior and the climate in which her employees worked.
HankHarris
Its interesting her reaction because I’ve been connected with people that have been in her orbit for years and she has one of the worst reputations in Hollywood – unless you are a big celebrity – for years, going back to almost the beginning of the show. This isn’t a new thing. There are always a few names of the ones that treat people terribly – and hers is always in the mix.
odyssey2
What are the other names you’ve heard?
richybruce
Exactly right.
MissTerri
Ellen dear, try not using your gender as a Shield to deflect any criticism directed at you.
Fahd
So much denial, so much rationalization. And we’re supposed to accept the “I’m the victim of misogyny” excuse, because her therapist helped her to come up with it? lol. I’m one of the people who don’t believe her.
Why do they never ask, does being worth more than $400 million make it easier to deal with all these detractors and accusations?
When someone enjoys so much privilege and/or wealth, I just think it is insensitive to go for the audience’s sympathy. There are people with real problems out there.
Now please just take the money and go already.
GayEGO
This sounds more like Trumpsters complaining and making false lies about abuse in Ellen’s show.
jerkinns
Deflected the toxic workplace question when she answered the guests were happy
Terrycloth
Typical narracistic responses to questions being asked. She’s the victim as most of her staff says she was the problem. She’s to rich to see it or care
Troyfight
…yep.
Shady Gaga
There complainers of a toxic workplace were a bunch of millenials who are used to receiving trophies for just showing up, and can’t take criticism for doing a poor job.
richybruce
Wrong. They are people who worked for her. It’s been pretty well known in the industry for years.
Cam
If Ellen’s publicist is going to try to send in trolls, they’ll have to do better.
Sorry precious, but that B.S. 80s defense of “Any employee complaining is a wimp” doesn’t play. To many people have dealt with toxic bosses.
Your excuse may have flown if there was one complaint, but when dozens of her employees complained, both personal and at her show, as well as security firms saying the refuse to work with her, AND other celebrities like Lea Thompson and Brad Garrett chiming in on her behavior, nope, sorry, nobody’s buying it from you.
Michael
This has to be the most tone-deaf interview I’ve ever seen.
Thad
Thank you! I was trying to figure just what was wrong here.
richybruce
People have known for years what bitch she is and how horrible it is to work for her. “Never saw anything…” Look in the mirror. Bye!
justgeo
Wasn’t your rise to ‘fame’ coordinated promoted for the best viewership you could get?
Go cry somewhere else B^&*H.
cuteguy
It’s always interesting when women use the gender card yet take no accountability. I’m not trans but it’s interesting that women are staying silent when it currently is in the news about trans women wanting to compete. Well except for the morons on the right like Lauren Boobert and Majorie Taylor Biggot.
nyxy
I believe her. How could somebody be oh so nice and so well-received for so many years and then suddenly turn into this (phantom) monster overnight? But even though she got blindsided by these accusations, she still bears some responsibility. It does seem though that she has addressed them even though a bit too late. Ellen is a phoenix. She will rise up again and soar to new heights. I’m not joining the bash Ellen bandwagon.
Scotty2Naughty
We’ve seen this happen with many celebrities where they were perceived by many as one thing and turned out to be another, so, the fact that you can’t fathom it to be possibly be true about Ellen either speaks to a bias you have because you’re an Ellen fan or you may just be out of touch like Ellen seems to be in the video.
ryanM
Who told you that she was nice? While she constantly preached “be nice,” people said that she was always pretty distant and dismissive. As her show gained popularity, her ego grew and she got worse.
malerntogo
Being a person of meager wealth, I find it insulting that a multimillionaire has the audacity to play the “gender” card. But she has already played a card before, the Gay card and got away with it then. Why wouldn’t she try it again with Gender?
If you question her sincerity about being kind to her employees, as I do, just watch some of her shows. Ellen “gets off” on scaring, prancing and humiliating her guests!
And THEN she is the host of Game of Games where ordinary people are humiliated in front of millions with goo, getting hit, and dunked in water!
Give me a break. I’m honestly surprised the camera hasn’t accidentally panned back to her with her hand down the front of her 5000 dollar Armani pant suit!
tyrammstein
i love how she is playing ” i am the real victim here”
note how she worked ” really hard” with a counselor and how she insists it is not anything she did but a gender issue. pathetic.
i am not in the ” industry” but have read various accounts of the accusations for years. her temper and her arrogance have been talked about for a long time. her innocent is more than questionable. she is tone deaf.
go way ellen. you have turned from being a role model for LGBTQ folks to being a role model to being a model of an out of control rich egomaniac entitled sad thing
nmharleyrider
I was a big fan of Ellen too until these charges started coming out. And now to say it’s an organized situation against her because she is a woman is sheer nonsense. She could not be so naive that she was not aware of her show’s toxic environment is totally ridiculous. If she really believes that then she is not as intelligent as I believed her to be.
adamwest
Bullshit She came back for another season because she believed that everyone would still love her and buy into her crappy lies and phony apologies. To say she didnt know is crap as well hell most of the complaints ARE about HER and not her staff who she is blaming I was a huge fan of hers until she started speaking out then i realised it was all true …She has her millions and her mansion so will probably disapear as not many people in Hollywood will want to work with her now
Jack
Sadly she’s made hundreds of millions of dollars while acting badly and she doesn’t have to worry about money. Meanwhile lowly paid people endured workplace toxicity and she won’t even take any responsibility. Nothing about that is fair. Period.
Rich85
As someone who has worked in the film and television industry for almost 38 years, I can add to the chorus of voices who have said that Ellen has had a bad reputation for many many years. Long before the recent “scandal”. Her feigning ignorance of a toxic work environment is hilarious since she’s one of the main purveyors of that toxicity. She’s the typical full of herself celeb who is all smiles and sunshine to her fellow celebrities, but rude and dismissive to staff or those deemed beneath her. Is she really so delusional that she thinks that the crew and staff think she has been a joy to be around all this time? She’s a stand up comic, ironically one of the most bitter and unfunny groups of people I’ve ever spent time with. She says that every guest who comes on the show says it’s such a happy atmosphere? Well those are the guests lady, celebs who come in for a couple hours, have their asses kissed and are given a gift basket then driven or flown home, of course they think it’s happy. What about your longtime staff and crew, thats who says it was toxic, not Jennifer Lopez from her well appointed greenroom. You’re insanely rich Ellen, time to take your money and give your whining and us a break.
winemaker
Why the continuing updates on this toxic bitch who’s all about herself? Really enough on ellen degenerate and her ‘I’m gay’ thing. Lots of people are gay, and that alone doesn’t make her special.
Chrisk
Wow. Did you just drop by on your way to briebart news or something? Calling her “degenerate” was used by the right wing for many years only because she was gay. She never used the gay card to get where she’s at.
Why don’t you go back to bitching about how all the homeless are ruining your wonderful San Francisco view and property value.
You’re pathetic.
jackscott
Maybe “just not a challenge anymore” is her way of saying that if she can’t treat people like dirt, she won’t do the job. Don’t let the door hit you; she should have let this season be her last v. one more!
ryanM
It’s very telling that she really hasn’t gotten any support or positive testimonials from past staff members. What little support she’s gotten came from other celebrities, many of whom never observed her backstage. Those who know her call her entitled, cold and dismissive, and even cruel.
And many of the complaints come from women, with some of the most biting criticism coming from gays. Just read the comments here.
ryanM
I personally can’t stand Ellen, and find her talents overrated. Her sitcom wasn’t funny and her talk show is mediocre, at best. Based on the few shows I’ve watched, she’s not funny and an awful interviewer. Her skits are mostly based on meanness and embarrassing and/or stressing the victim, which includes the interviewee (e.g. Naomi Osaka). Lots of hidden camera exploitation. That’s especially hypocritical given her supposed mantra of “be nice.”
As for niceness, many cite the money and gifts she gives to “deserving” guests. What they forget is that the money isn’t hers. It’s advertising money from Snapchat or others, Furthermore, the choices are questionable, For example, the blonde gay twins, “Rhode Bros,” who allegedly came out to their dad on Youtube, She gave them $10,000 checks … for what? Their Youtube stunt was a designed for Youtube stardom and a move to Hollywood. Coming out wasn’t exactly risky for them. They were living with their mom and brother, both of whom accepted them. Their dad lived far away, and there was no risk of homelessness or even dejection, With model-handsomeness, their video went viral. That’s fine but what made them deserving of $10,000, especially when they had the advantages of supportive parents and model-like looks? Rather than use the money for something noble like an education or activism, it basically just financed their hedonism as Youtube stars. Ellen’s decision was widely criticized as superficial and worse, it encouraged staged “coming out” videos.
So I’m not fan and won’t be sorry to see her go.
Cam
Howard Stern mentioned that he wouldn’t agree to do her show until he had an iron clad agreement that she wasn’t going to pull any of her “Pranks” on him.
Ellen backed down and agreed to it, but hearing him talk about the show, I can see why more celebrities didn’t defend her. It sounds like they thought the show was necessary to promote their gigs, but that it wasn’t that enjoyable. Somebody who was a big Get, like Stern was, with the number one selling book could control being “Pranked” , and he had a HUGE platform to rip her to shreds if she p*ssed him off, but most of the others probably couldn’t and played along.
mastik8
Well, her show may have ended but at least she was able to leave with her victimhood intact.
Winsocki
The Lady doth protest too much…..hired Spin Dr. response. Crisis Management on TV
Dixie Rect
She’s a victim now, after victimizing so many? She is a horrid despicable witch. Time to drift into obscurity….