You know when you make a comment or a joke so many times that people start taking it seriously? This is exactly the kind of vibe Ellen DeGeneres is giving as she’s overexplaining her “strong” personality to try to refute the allegations that she is, actually, mean. This time, she’s not fooling anyone anymore.
Ellen DeGeneres was one of television’s biggest stars, with The Ellen DeGeneres Show becoming a huge hit with critics and audiences. Her talk show was one of the most popular on the airwaves, and her kind and generous persona made her extremely likable.
The castle crumbled in 2020, when a series of troubling stories came out, painting a completely different picture of DeGeneres than the one we knew from the screen. Multiple stories from former employees indicated the talk show was a toxic workplace, and that, behind the scenes, DeGeneres was cruel, vindictive, and overall mean. The 2020 rumors started her downfall, and DeGeneres keeps trying to just keep swimming.
Ellen DeGeneres keeps trying to rebrand herself in vain
A few months ago, during one of her stand-up shows, Ellen DeGeneres announced she was leaving Hollywood. She revealed that the Netflix special For Your Approval that followed her three-night set of Ellen’s Last Stand… Up would be her last. However, despite announcing her decision to step out of the spotlight, DeGeneres can’t stop trying to defend herself.
Ellen DeGeneres apologized for her behavior at the start of her show’s 18th season, and she took her last bow in 2022. During her latest Netflix special, which was released on Sept. 24, and which people weren’t interested in to begin with, DeGeneres keeps trying to change everyone’s minds and get audiences to like her again, using eye-rolling, unnerving excuses that highly damage the reputation of other hard-working, powerful women.
“I’m happy not being a boss or a brand or a billboard, just a person,” DeGeneres explained. “Just a multifaceted person with different feelings and emotions, and I can be happy and sad and compassionate or frustrated.” She went on to list a ton of adjectives and mental disorders to help her case. “I have OCD and ADD. I’m honest. I’m generous. I’m sensitive and thoughtful. But I’m tough, and I’m impatient, and I’m demanding. I’m direct. I’m a strong woman…”
The disgraced talk show host continued, “I’ve spent an entire lifetime trying to make people happy and I’ve cared far too much what other people think of me. So, the thought of anyone thinking that I’m mean was devastating to me, and it consumed me for a long time.”
Of course, her explanations weren’t huge hits with the internet, which slammed her attempts to clear up her image. Although some people found her sincerity refreshing, people are done with DeGeneres’ attempts to excuse herself for her toxic behavior.
Luckily, we live in a time where accountability is important, and formerly-beloved, now-embattled celebrities like DeGeneres or Blake Lively are learning that firsthand. As to whether she will leave Hollywood, your guess is as good as mine. However, if her Netflix special flops, she might finally get the point that people are over her and are done indulging her explanations, and she might become a cautionary tale for other toxic celebrities to do better.