Ellen DeGeneres Breaks Silence After Career Takes a Hit Over ‘Toxic Bully’ Allegations: ‘I Was Canceled for Being Mean!’

Ellen DeGeneres wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room.

RadarOnline.com can reveal that Ellen DeGeneres has finally broken her silence about her Hollywood downfall, speaking candidly for the first time since she was “canceled” by the industry following allegations of fostering a toxic work environment.

During her standup performance at Radio City Music Hall on August 1, the comedian addressed the situation head-on, saying, “I got kicked out of show business because I’m mean!” She then quipped, “Eventually, they’re going to kick me out again for being old!”

ellen degeneres opens up career imploded toxic bully canceled mean

Source: MEGA
DeGeneres remarked, “I got kicked out of show business because I’m mean!”

DeGeneres didn’t shy away from any topic during her New York City show earlier this month. One attendee described the event as part “redemption tour” and part “confessional.”

“She seemed a little bruised from her fall from grace but not broken,” the insider shared. “DeGeneres took time to reflect on her life, the good and the bad. This standup tour is about finally coming clean and explaining the truth behind all the rumors, including some jaw-dropping secrets she had kept hidden from the world.”

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the once-beloved “queen of nice” saw her empire crumble in 2020 when multiple employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show accused executive producers of racism, sexual misconduct, and intimidation. DeGeneres, 66, responded by firing three men and issuing an apology, claiming she “wasn’t aware” of the toxic atmosphere.

However, not everyone in Hollywood was quick to absolve DeGeneres of blame. Kathy Griffin, 63, alleged that her fellow comedian had a “mean streak that all of Hollywood knows about,” while a former bodyguard described DeGeneres as “cold” and “demeaning.”

ellen degeneres opens up career imploded toxic bully canceled mean
Source: MEGA
DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, 51.

During her stand-up show, DeGeneres admitted to sometimes being impatient, demanding, and direct, but she also emphasized that she was “compassionate and generous.” She reminisced about playing jump-scare pranks on her staff and initiating a backstage game of tag that lasted for five years.

Reflecting on these antics, DeGeneres joked, “Hearing myself say this out loud, I realized I was chasing my employees and terrorizing them.”

The 34-time Emmy winner also confessed that she never wanted to be a boss, comparing her situation to Ronald McDonald being “the CEO of McDonald’s.”

DeGeneres expressed particular pain over being labeled “the most hated woman in America” by the media, attributing the perception to “gender bias.” She pointed out, “Women are expected to be quiet and small, while men can make demands without anyone questioning how nice they’re being.”

The attendee added that DeGeneres’ mental health may have played a role in the negative perceptions. “She revealed a secret: Her therapist told her she actually has OCD, like her father, and that may have contributed to how people saw her.”

ellen degeneres opens up career imploded toxic bully canceled mean
Source: MEGA
One attendee described DeGeneres’ comedy show as part “redemption tour,” part “confessional.”

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DeGeneres, who has previously opened up about her stepfather’s sexual abuse and her mother’s refusal to believe her, revealed another secret: she pursued a career in show business “to heal my childhood wounds” and because she “thought if I can make people like me, then I’ll be happy.” Thanks to therapy, she no longer feels that way.

Another witness at the Radio City Music Hall show noted, “Ellen claimed she’s stopped caring what people think,” though she still insisted that everyone lock their phones during the show to maintain a high level of security.

“It was the kind of security you’d expect for the president,” the insider said. “It makes sense that she’s extremely paranoid after everything that’s happened.”

ellen degeneres opens up career imploded toxic bully canceled mean
Source: MEGA
The insider said, “She seemed a little bruised from her fall from grace but not broken.”

DeGeneres also shared a new heartbreak: her 94-year-old mother, Betty, is suffering from dementia. The comedian told the audience, “My whole identity used to be wrapped up in that show, and my mother’s identity used to be being Ellen’s mom, and now I don’t have a show and she doesn’t know she’s my mother.” She couldn’t resist adding a joke, quipping that her mom “doesn’t know she has dementia” and probably thinks she’s Kelly Ripa.

Despite fearing she’d “lost her sense of humor” during her darkest moments, DeGeneres appears to have rediscovered her ability to laugh. At a Q&A session after another recent show, when an audience member asked if dancing—which she famously did at the start of every episode of her talk show—helped her through tough times, she replied, “It’s hard to dance when you’re crying. But I am dancing now.”