Ellen DeGeneres returned to stand-up comedy with a three-night engagement in Santa Rosa recently.
The 66-year-old comedienne took center stage at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts on Monday, July 1, as part of her Ellen’s Last Stand…Up tour. This performance marked her first significant public appearance since her renowned talk show was canceled two years prior. According to SFGate, DeGeneres addressed her departure from the limelight head-on.
“Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she said. “I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.”
She delved into the profound impact of this abrupt change, reflecting on her 19-season tenure on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The experience, she noted, has heightened her self-awareness.
“I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me,'” she admitted. “Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity.”
She quipped with a touch of self-deprecating humor: “Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay and mean, the triple crown.”
While aiming to entertain, DeGeneres also confronted the origins of the accusations against her, as reported by the outlet.
“I can be demanding and impatient and tough,” she explained. “I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean.”
According to SFGate, DeGeneres asserted that her intentions were never malicious, maintaining that this absolved her of being inherently mean, even if her actions were occasionally perceived as such.
When probed about a potential return to the spotlight, having had time for introspection, DeGeneres responded with an unequivocal negative.
“This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done,” she said.
A July 2020 BuzzFeed News exposé featured anonymous accounts from former and current staff members, alleging that DeGeneres fostered a toxic work environment. The accusations ranged from penalization for medical leave to instances of racial microaggressions and fear of retaliation for voicing concerns.
“The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she recounted at a Los Angeles stand-up show in April. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”
She revealed that she concluded each day on set with the phrase “Be kind to one another,” which she jested led to her being perceived as a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.”
In a recent development, DeGeneres canceled four upcoming show dates merely a month after launching her stand-up tour. Ticketmaster provided no explanation for the cancellations beyond a standard alert.
DeGeneres’ Netflix special is slated for release later this year, marking what could be her final bow in the entertainment industry.
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