These Celebrities Tried To Warn Us About Ellen DeGeneres

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama isn’t a huge fan of DeGeneres, but she doesn’t hate her, either. She witnessed Ellen acting like a child in a pharmacy. In 2016, “Michelle Obama and DeGeneres showed up at a CVS Pharmacy and Ellen’s antics were driving the First Lady nuts. Upon arrival, the talk show host began ripping open products to see what is in them. Mrs. Obama, a little shocked, told her she couldn’t do that. At one point, Ellen took to a megaphone to announce they were looking for rash cream for the First Lady’s rash.” Talk about acting like you’re sixteen! Ellen needs to get herself together, she’s a grown woman. Apparently, “on the way out, totally exasperated with Ellen, she said, “You know, you’re really annoying.” And then added, “It’s like taking a three-year-old to the store!” Ellen doesn’t seem to understand social cues or how to respect another human being. The two are supposedly friends now, but it was certainly a hiccup in their friendship (via Herald Weekly).

Celine Dion

As one of the most successful artists in the world, Celine Dion has a $460 million net worth. Fans fill her stadiums to watch the musical artist perform. Ellen comes in close with a net worth of $330 million. It’s surprising, then, that when Dion visited Ellen’s show, it seemed like she was clueless. “Ellen was heckling her to give her son a haircut. The awkward interview happened back in 2007, but it’s stayed alive online.” It’s probably because Dion told her to stop interfering and to leave her alone (via Herald Weekly).

Brad Garrett

We’ve heard the term “sorry, not sorry,” and that’s exactly what Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond felt towards DeGeneres. Ashley Black, a social media entrepreneur, said that toxicity in the workplace is normal. But Brad Garrett refuted that stance. He’d guested on The Ellen Show six times, so we know he’s a reliable source. He’s been there and experienced the toxicity, and all the behind-the-scenes stress that normal people watching the show never witness. “He said the toxic workplace was common knowledge. He also made the point that there was more than one person that he knew personally that was treated badly by the host.” We thought Ellen was kind, but she’s not. It was only a matter of time before her mask was ripped off (via Herald Weekly).

Kathy Griffin

Griffin is a celebrity that tried to warn us about Ellen DeGeneres time and time again. For a while, the two never got along and were mean to each other. In 2007, Griffin appeared on The Ellen Show. While “waiting backstage, Griffin listened to Ellen’s monologue and said it was about how mean she was. Years later, Ellen was asked about the feud and said that Griffin is “very mean.” She claimed Griffin pouted about being banned from the show and said she was never invited back.” How harsh of punishment is that? It doesn’t stop there, though. “Another feud blew up over the passing of Griffin’s close friend, legendary comedian Joan Rivers. Griffin said it hurt Rivers’ feelings that DeGeneres never liked her.” For some reason, Ellen disliked people. Maybe she felt threatened in their presence so retreated to acts of unkindness to try and get rid of them (via Herald Weekly).

Hedda Muskat

Hedda Muskat is a producer in the media world. She’s personally known Ellen for many years and was even on her first episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2003. Muscat agreed with many others that the show had an extremely toxic environment. She also said “it got worse after executive producer Ed Glavin came aboard in 2006. It’s pretty shocking [for Ellen] to come out 16 years later and say that she wasn’t aware of it.” Muskat saw right past Ellen and knows the celebrity was in on it. According to other sources, Ellen knew about the abuse behind the scenes and would even watch her staff get yelled at with a smirk on her face (via Herald Weekly).

SuperM

Sumer is a famous Korean boy band. Mark, an artist in the band, told Ellen to shut her mouth “when it comes to young celebrities’ love lives.” Ellen tends to make celebrities spill their deepest secrets in front of the camera at their own expense. SuperM appeared on her show in 2019, and everyone in the crowd cheered with glee when the boys pranced on stage. They even presented Ellen with a $50,000 donation to her Ellen Fund philanthropy. That’s extremely generous of them, but Ellen didn’t take it with kindness. “Just before the check was presented to her, she said she needed to know if they were all single. Piping up right away, Mark asked, “Why are you always curious about this though?” She told him, “It’s my job.” Seriously, it doesn’t seem like anyone’s job to ask if you’re single unless it’s your grandmother (via Herald Weekly).

Tony Okungbowa

Okungbow used his musical skills on Ellen’s show as a DJ from 2003 to 2013. According to sources, “Tony Okungbowa decided to share his experience working on set after folks urged him to talk about it. He posted on Instagram that he was grateful for the opportunity to provide talent for the show. However, he also said that he “did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment.” He’s not the first person to warn us about Ellen DeGeneres and was certainly not the last. He, like many others in the workplace, tried to help the show and create a more inclusive workplace, where everyone felt safe and equal. Ellen’s facade is slowly breaking down, celebrity after celebrity (via Herald Weekly).

Portia de Rossi

We’ll lighten the load for a moment and talk about one celebrity that supported Ellen DeGeneres. Portia de Rossi is Ellen’s wife. She’s a model and an actress. She used Instagram to back up her beloved, by using a bold statement. “In large white text with a baby blue background, Portia wrote “I Stand By Ellen,” and added, “Be Kind to One Another” in the corner.” This happened right after Ellen’s world crumbled. The future of the show was up in the air, and Ellen was skating on thin ice. But of course she had the support of her wife and it seemed less than genuine, warning us in a roundabout way (via Herald Weekly).

DJ Twitch

Media personnel sign nondisclosure agreements before working on set. This includes not talking about the workplace environment to the media. Generally, it’s to prevent anything like what happened on The Ellen Show from happening. DJ Twitch made it clear that “in the end, the toxic culture backstage was going on for a long time because of those contracts.” Additionally, BuzzFeed editor Krystie Yandoli said, “the biggest common thread that everyone told me is that what goes on behind the scenes is a far cry from what the show represents …” We’ve all lived in a lie the past couple of decades. We’re wondering what went on behind those closed curtains. Even though we may never know the full extent, at least we can assume it was a horrible place to be (via Herald Weekly).

Chris Farah

Actress and former waitress Farah used to be a huge fan of DeGeneres. More so, she was a huge fan because Ellen was one of the first celebrities to come out as gay. “But one day, she was serving Ellen and Portia’s table and Ellen had a problem with her chipped nail polish. She said Ellen went through the trouble of penning a letter to her boss to complain. Farah wrote, “I had worked till closing the night before & this was next morn, almost got me fired.” That’s messed up. We understand not wanting an unkempt server, but this just takes it too far. Luckily, Farah got something out of it as she used the tale in a comedy routine shortly after (via Herald Weekly).

Kevin Hart

It looks like Hart got a lot of backlash for posting a photo of Ellen DeGeneres on his Instagram. He’s one of the ones that supported her since he “knows first-hand the wrath the media sphere inflicts, it turned on him once.” He spoke up for Ellen and “posted a caption saying Ellen is one of the “dopest people” on the planet. He talked about her kindness and respectfulness. He also included a message saying he does not mean to “disregard the feelings of others and their experiences.” At least he added that last part in and saved himself even more backlash because it seems like the people who support Ellen are few and far in between (via Herald Weekly).

Kevin T. Porter

Porter tried to get Ellen back by making a charitable donation out of her meanness. If you can’t beat them, join them. It’s a unique way to leverage the entire situation, so we give him credit for this. It doesn’t stop there, another person slammed Ellen on Twitter by saying Ellen hurt the feelings of a Wish Kid. That’s harsh, but after reading all of this about Ellen, might be slightly accurate. Is there a hint of truth in that Tweet? He also Tweeted that Ellen is one of “the meanest people alive.” This was tweeted following a photograph posted on Twitter when Ellen was seen hanging out with George W. Bush at a football game. To ease this find, “he offered to donate $2 to the LA Food Bank to match each response to his tweet about the most “insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean.” This hit a nerve with Ellen, and rightfully so (via Herald Weekly).

Andy Richter

Richter warned us about Ellen DeGeneres and questioned any kind of support she received. He posted about it on Twitter for the entire internet world to see. Like many other celebrities, he found it shocking that anyone in the world would support such a horrible person. Just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she can get away with what she did. Posting about it on Twitter is one way to warn us about her. Author Ashley Black retaliated, and claimed that a toxic workplace is normal. We’ve never heard of normalized toxicity, so, surprisingly, she claimed this (via Herald Weekly).

George W. Bush

Ellen received a lot of hate when she hung out with George W. Bush back in 2019. It seemed like everyone knew, and they either supported it or hated it. Because of this, it likely “exacerbated rumors of DeGeneres’ behind-the-scenes unkind behavior.” That’s pretty obvious, because “given Bush’s history, many fans felt uncomfortable seeing the bubbly talk show host enjoying a game with him.” She just keeps on making the wrong moves. She’s giving her old fans fewer reasons to like her (via Herald Weekly)

Lea Thompson

At the epicenter of Ellen’s PR wreckage, Thompson agreed that Ellen’s toxic workplace was common knowledge, totally throwing Ellen under the bus. Previously, People magazine published an article about actor Brad Garrett where he admitted to Ellen’s toxic workplace and how it was common knowledge. Apparently, “once Garrett came out to set things straight, actress Lea Thompson confirmed his claim.” The number of celebrities hating on Ellen just keeps piling up. It must have been talked about in the celebrity world for a while before it reached the public’s ears (via Herald Weekly).

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber also faced the wrath of Ellen. She shamed him on her television show just like she shamed several other celebrities. Does she do it out of jealousy? Or is she trying to be funny? Likely, Justin Bieber fans are not Ellen DeGeneres fans any longer. It seems that “for years, Ellen and Bieber portrayed a feisty TV friendship, but she took it too far in 2015. In the middle of an average interview, Ellen plastered a partially blurred nude paparazzi photo of Bieber on vacation in Bora Bora. Leaving the humiliating image on the Megatron, she interrogated him with questions about a woman pictured there until he whispered, “Stop.” Pleading, “Why are you putting me on the spot like this?” No one deserves that kind of treatment. She publicly shamed him in front of millions of people (via Herald Weekly).

Susan Sarandon

Sarandon was not a fan of the friendship between Ellen DeGeneres and George W Bush. That’s a combination we don’t want to see. “The A-lister had been around long enough to remember Iraq I and II and so she went to Twitter to respond. Captioning an image of Ellen touting a supportive fan’s tweet, Sarandon argued that the talk show host missed the point completely. “DeGeneres framed the issue as simply a matter of her hanging out with someone with different opinions, not a man repeatedly accused of being a war criminal.” It’s one thing to hang out with a man who preaches an opinion differing from your own, and another to hang out with George W. Bush. The two do not go well together (via Herald Weekly).

Her Show’s Executive Producers

The executive producers on the show faced some serious claims of misconduct. Reports claimed that “one younger former employee said that the abusive behavior was shaping the careers of recent college graduates like himself in a bad way. Unfortunately, the younger ones were more frequently targeted.” This sounds like an unhealthy workplace. Ed Glavin, one of the producers, collected the most complaints for being handsy and creepy. “Glavin, characterized as exuding a “creep factor,” didn’t respond to the grievances. Kevin Leman, who garnered several graphic misconduct complaints, too explicit to quote here, categorically denied all impropriety.” Surprisingly, Ellen DeGeneres would hire these kinds of men to work on her show, which makes us wonder what her real intentions were (via Herald Weekly).

Mariah Carey

Similarly to Justin Bieber, Carey also faced embarrassment on Ellen’s show. In 2008, pregnancy rumors involving Carey were surfacing. “When Carey said she wouldn’t divulge personal information, Ellen brought out some champagne as a test and said, “Let’s toast to you not being pregnant.” This was a manipulative way to get the truth out of someone. Apparently, “Carey maintained her composure laughing along at Ellen’s persistence, asking why she would even do that. Ellen appeared to be pushing her into drinking the champagne while Carey laughed, accusing her of “peer pressure.” Mariah had actually the pregnancy a few weeks later following the interview. “The reason the pop queen was not comfortable sharing was that she had previously experienced a miscarriage.” This is extremely personal, and Ellen should know better than to force this information out of someone on live television (via Herald Weekly).

Dakota Johnson

Johnson warned us about Ellen and dished the entire truth. We need more people like him to tell us what’s going on. When she appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” for the second time, “Ellen complained that she was not invited to the A-lister’s birthday bash. Smiling kindly but speaking firmly, Dakota said, “Actually, no, that’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited.” She didn’t like his response and “pressed the “Fifty Shades” actress. Finally, a producer admitted Ellen had been invited. Turns out, Ellen had been at a certain Cowboy’s football game.” She tried to spin the story and make Dakota out to be the bad guy (via Herald Weekly).

Nikki de Jager

When Nikki de Jager came out as transgender, she feared backlash was coming. But the opposite happened, and “she published her statement on her NikkiTutorials YouTube channel and gained worldwide support. The sit-down interview was classic Ellen, closing with a $10K donation to LGBTQ causes.” But when she spoke to Ellen about her experience, she was treated with unkindness. She said “it was a “huge honor,” but the set at “Ellen” seemed like a “whole different world” from the kindness mantras.” It looks like Ellen is not who she’s made out to be (via Herald Weekly).

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros set a major investigation into Ellen DeGeneres and her show, in response to the BuzzFeed investigation. This happened In July 2020. “Initially, before the third-party investigation went into place, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” executive producers Andy Lassner, Mary Connelly, and Ed Glavin co-authored a response to BuzzFeed. They gave the following statement: “We are truly heartbroken to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience.” The statement included words about how it is not who they are and strive to be.” This seems like it’s the complete opposite claim to what everyone else in the world is talking about, and it sounds like they’re only trying to cover their tracks (via Herald Weekly).

Taylor Swift

Like Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift also received negative treatment from Ellen DeGeneres. “After many years of celebrity friendship, Taylor Swift endured one of the show’s most awkward interrogations. Previously, Swift frequently made appearances. And once, Ellen, who frolicked in emulating the country singer, took it to the limit.” Even after a long-standing friendship, where you build trust, the celebrity broke that trust. “Dressing up like the pop star, Ellen crashed a Taylor Swift concert, dancing onstage. It was all fun and games until Ellen took it too far.

DeGeneres interviewed Swift and pressed her about former boyfriends. DeGeneres gave the singer a bell to ring if she had dated a man Ellen questioned her about. Long story short, Swift is sobbing and begging for Ellen to stop.” It sounds like Ellen constantly interrogates people about their previous relationships and sexual history. It’s incredibly strange and crosses too many boundaries. The “2013 visit inspired a TikTok clip called “Someone Who Deserves an Apology: Talk Show Edition.” It’s a tragic end to a friendship, and Taylor said, “it makes me feel so bad about myself every time I come up here you put like a different dude up there on the screen, and it just makes me question what I stand for as a human being” (via Herald Weekly).

The Fallout

The joint investigation by WarnerMedia and the local TV station took down “three members of its senior production team.” This investigation confirmed a troubling workplace. It even ended in the dismissal of “executive producers Ed Glavin and Kevin Leman as well as co-executive producer Jonathan Norman.” Ellen DeGeneres seemed greatly affected by the occurrence, and tearfully announced the findings of the report. “She admitted she was not perfect and said it was “heartbreaking” reading the report.” Ellen is far from perfect. She’s probably the farthest away you could be, and it’s going to take a long time to get her reputation back after all these allegations (via Herald Weekly).

Sofia Vergara

Ellen DeGeneres knows how to get under people’s skin, and she doesn’t shy away from embarrassing people. It’s as if she plans the most embarrassing way to call someone out on her show. Ellen is a bully. She bullies the guests on her show. She and Sofia Vergara sat on Ellen’s show and participated in comedic banter back and forth. But “Ellen shut the actress down with an “English word of the day” game. The word, “discombobulated,” stumbled clumsily off her tongue. Vergara struggled to pronounce it several times. She was completely discombobulated, despite not knowing the meaning.” The comedian looked horrified, but Ellen didn’t let up. She tried to play it off as two comedians having a good time, but it’s clear she was negatively affected by the experience (via Herald Weekly).