The once-beloved Ellen DeGeneres has suffered a catastrophic fall from grace. Previously a well-liked comedian. her image (and voice, thanks to her star turn as Pixar’s Dory in Finding Nemo) became ubiquitous in pop culture thanks to her ultra-popular daytime talk show.
But DeGeneres succumbed to a poison that does in many a celebrity: ego. After rumors DeGeneres wasn’t nearly as nice as she seemed on TV swirled on social media, a 2020 Buzzfeed report documented multiple accusations of bad behavior on the set of her show. Former employees alleged racist micro-aggressions, petty bullying, firing people for taking medical leave, and mandating certain employees to not look at her (allegedly, one former employee dared to break that rule and was consequently fired).
The report gained enough traction that DeGeneres formally apologized on the first episode of her show’s 18th season but the damage was done. In 2022, the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired and DeGeneres quietly disappeared.
Now, DeGeneres is back in the spotlight as she embarks on her comedy tour, “Ellen’s Last Stand…Up.” Has she come back for good or is this only temporary?
Is Ellen back or is she done with showbiz for good?
According to DeGeneres, she really is calling it quits. During an audience Q&A session after a successful show at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa (SFGATE, which broke the news, described the audience as “100% behind the semi-disgraced comedian”), DeGeneres shared her decision after one fan asked if she would be making a return to the stage or screen.
“This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.” When another fan asked DeGeneres to reprise her role as Dory in the Finding Nemo universe, she doubled down on her decision to leave the entertainment industry. “No, I’m going bye-bye, remember.”
Time will tell if DeGeneres truly means to leave Hollywood for good but regardless of your feelings for her, it does feel like the end of an era. For a time, she was the most, and honestly, one of the only, visible lesbians in media; I can’t deny she opened doors for many of our favorite queer entertainers of today.
DeGeneres has inspired thousands of young members of the LGBTQ+ community to be their authentic selves but, if half the rumors and allegations about her are true, she’s also shown to be capable of incredible cruelty. I can’t say whether it’s right for her to retire (though given her past success, I think she’ll be okay whatever choice she makes) but I do hope the next celebrity we choose to elevate practices what they preach when it comes to their public persona.