Ellen DeGeneres made light of being "kicked out of show business" for being "mean" after allegations in 2020 of a hostile work environment and sexual misconduct on the set of her talk show.
Reflecting on her being labeled the "most hated person in America," DeGeneres noted that the ordeal stripped her television persona of its former glory, according to People.
"The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news," she said. "The 'be kind' girl wasn't kind. That was the headline."
Highlighting the key phrase she would use to end her show, "Be kind to one another," DeGeneres joked that it became a "problem" because people started to think of her as a "one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps."
After her stand-up routine, the comedian took questions from fans in the audience. When asked if she still "danced" during tough times, DeGeneres said it was hard to maintain the same positivity she preached on her show for so many years.
"No. ... It's hard to dance when you're crying," she said, noting that she "had a hard time" and "didn't get out" amid the scandal.
DeGeneres further admitted she was "in a funk" that started to affect her wife of 16 years, Portia de Rossi.
"She was watching it happen to me... she went through it with me," DeGeneres said.
DeGeneres said she has since come to terms with what became of her career.
"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."
DeGeneres said she was happy to return to comedy.
"I think that we need more laughter and less drama," she said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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