Ellen DeGeneres addresses toxic workplace scandal, comedic coping mechanisms revealed

Ellen DeGeneres addressed the toxic workplace scandal that negatively impacted her career in 2020 during a recent stand-up routine. She jokingly told fans at her Los Angeles show that she “got kicked out of show business” because of being considered rude by others within the industry, but added sarcastically: “The only mean people in show business are those who accuse you of being mean.” The controversy surrounding ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ began with allegations of a toxic work environment and continued when former employees shared testimonials about sexually inappropriate behaviour by ousted producers. One producer was reportedly at the centre of complaints regarding poor workplace culture as well. This onslaught of negative headlines damaged her reputation, leading to DeGeneres announcing that she would be ending ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ last year and apologizing publicly for letting staff members down during the process (its final episode was broadcast in May). In Wednesday night’s performance, she said being branded a one-dimensional character who only gave things away or danced up steps took its toll on her. “For those keeping score this is now the second time I’ve been kicked out of show business … Eventually they will kick me out for my third crime – being mean and old,” quipped DeGeneres, touching upon issues such as how gender roles can affect people in the industry negatively when they don’t conform to expectations. She also recalled that her 1990s sitcom was cancelled after she came out as a lesbian: “There are consequences for not prescribing [to] those norms.” DeGeneres acknowledged during an audience Q&A session following the performance, however, that all this criticism took its toll on how she viewed herself. She said it had been devastating and added: “Honestly I’m making jokes about what happened to me but it was really tough … I just hated the way [the show] ended.”