Ellen DeGeneres made a return to the stage for a three-night stand-up performance in Santa Rosa last week.
On Monday, July 1, the 66-year-old comedian performed at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts during her “Ellen’s Last Stand…Up” tour, where she shared updates about her life two years after her well-known talk show ended.
According to SFGate, DeGeneres openly addressed her departure from the spotlight.
“Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she began. “I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.”
DeGeneres reflected on how this significant change affected her, particularly after “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” had been on air for 19 seasons. She acknowledged a newfound awareness of her sensitivity, contrasting with her previous attitude.
“I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me,’” she confessed. “Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity.”
She humorously added, “Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay, and mean, the triple crown.”
During the performance, DeGeneres also addressed the accusations against her, explaining that while she can be demanding, impatient, and tough, these traits do not equate to being mean.
“I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean,” she clarified. She emphasized that her actions were not intended to be mean, even if they were sometimes perceived that way, according to SFGate.
When asked about a potential return to fame after having time to reflect on her past mistakes, DeGeneres firmly responded, “no.”
“This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done,” she stated.
In a July 2020 BuzzFeed News report, anonymous former and current staff members accused DeGeneres of fostering an unhealthy and toxic work environment on her show. The allegations included being penalized for taking medical leave, experiencing racial microaggressions, and fearing retribution for raising complaints.
“The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” DeGeneres recounted at a Los Angeles stand-up show in April. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”
She added that ending each day on set with the phrase “Be kind to one another” led to her being seen as a “one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps.”
Most recently, DeGeneres canceled four upcoming show dates, just one month after the stand-up tour began. No specific reasons were provided for the cancellations, apart from an alert from Ticketmaster.
