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Ellen DeGeneres opened up about the toxic workplace scandal that derailed her career and damaged her reputation in 2020, during her first return to the comedy stage this week.
During a stand-up routine in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the former host of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” reflected on getting “kicked out of show business” for being “mean.”
“What else can I tell you?” she sarcastically told fans, according to Rolling Stone. “Oh yeah, I got kicked out of show business. There’s no mean people in show business.”
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was rocked by bombshell accusations of a toxic work environment in 2020, followed by several former employee testimonials of sexually inappropriate behaviorby ousted producers. One producer had also reportedly been at the heart of the complaints of poor workplace culture.
ELLEN DEGENERES ON TALK SHOW ENDING AFTER 19 SEASONS: ‘I WAS CRYING EVERY DAY’
Ellen DeGeneres was involved in a toxic workplace scandal which resulted in the 19th and final season of her show. (Brooks Kraft)
The year of brutal headlines damaged the host’s reputation, leading to DeGeneres announcing the end of her show in 2021 and apologizing to staff. The final episode aired in May of 2022.
On Wednesday, DeGeneres said that the damage from these allegations turned her into a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.”
Admitting she “didn’t know how to be a boss” and didn’t “go to business school,” DeGeneres also suggested her gender and sexuality played a role in the vitriol she faced.
DeGeneres brought up how her eponymous sitcom in the 1990s was canceled after she announced she was a lesbian, telling the crowd “there are consequences” for not prescribing to gender roles, according to Rolling Stone.
“For those of you keeping score, this is the second time I’ve been kicked out of show business…Eventually they’re going to kick me out for a third time because I’m mean, old, and gay,” she joked.
In this photo released by Warner Bros., talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is seen during a taping of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. (Photo by Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.) (Michael Rozman and Sarah Haas/Warner Bros.)
DeGeneres confessed the backlash she faced took a toll on how she viewed herself.
“It’s been such a toll on my ego and my self-esteem. There’s such extremes in this business, people either love you and idolize you or they hate you, and those people somehow are louder,” she said.
After her set, during an audience Q&A, the comedian turned more somber when reflecting on how her show ended.
“Honestly, I’m making jokes about what happened to me but it was devastating, really,” she said. “I just hated the way the show ended. I love that show so much and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way.”
Fox News’ Julius Young contributed to this report.
Kristine Parks is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Read more.
