Ellen DeGeneres Jokes About 2020 Toxic Workplace Scandal: I ‘had a Hard Time’

Ellen DeGeneres joked about getting “kicked out of show business” after facing allegations of fostering a toxic workplace environment on her The Ellen DeGeneres Show, adding she “had a hard time.”

DeGeneres, who ended her talk show each day by stating, “Be kind to one another,” joked on Wednesday during a comedy performance in Los Angeles that people had started to view her as a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps,” according to a report by People.

“It’s hard to dance when you’re crying,” DeGeneres said, before claiming that she “had a hard time,” and “didn’t get out” amid the scandal. She also joked about getting “kicked out of show business” for being “mean.”

In July 2020, The Ellen DeGeneres Show came under attack by several former employees who claimed the long-running daytime talk show was hiding a toxic work culture where people have been mistreated and fired for taking medical leave and bereavement days, among other things.

DeGeneres’ show ended up losing more than 1 million viewers after the misconduct scandals and toxic workplace complaints surfaced, overshadowing her popular program.

“The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news. The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline,” DeGeneres reportedly said during her performance on Wednesday.

The talk show host claimed she became the “most hated person in America,” adding it was hard for her to cope as “persona non grata.”

During a Q&A session after her comedy skit, DeGeneres reportedly admitted to audience members that she wasn’t able to practice what she preached on her show for a long time.

Nonetheless, the comedian says she has since come to terms about what happened with her career, and that she is “dancing now” with her wife, Portia de Rossi.

“I’m making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating,” she said. “It took a long time for me to want to do anything again.”

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.