Ellen DeGeneres Opens Up About “Mean” Allegations On Set of Talk Show

Two years after The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres is opening up about the impact that toxic workplace allegations had on her mental health. In her latest Netflix special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval , which premiered on September 24, the comedian,66, candidly expressed how the controversy affected her.

RELATED STORIES: Ellen DeGeneres Claims ‘I Am Not Mean’ and ‘I’m Done’ With Fame After Her Next Netflix Special

The comedienne said she’s happy “not being a boss, a brand, or a billboard” after stepping away due to the allegations. According to PEOPLE, The Ellen DeGeneres Show ran for 19 seasons from 2003 to 2022, making DeGeneres a household name.. “ Just a multifaceted person with different feelings and emotions. I can be happy, sad, compassionate, or frustrated. I have OCD and ADD. I’m honest, generous, sensitive, and thoughtful. But I’m also tough, impatient, demanding, and direct. I’m a strong woman,” she explained.

DeGeneres continued telling the audience, “ When you’re a public figure, you’re open to everyone’s interpretation. You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘What other people think of me is none of my business.” She also reflected on her career in comedy and said the idea of being seen as a mean person was “devastating” and consumed her mental state for a long time.

RELATED STORIES: Ellen DeGeneres Addresses The ‘Hurtful’ End Of Her Talk Show In New Stand-Up Set

Back in July, the comedienne said she would be finished with fame after the debut of her Netflix special.

This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

As she’s becoming older, DeGeneres said she has gained perspective and doesn’t care what people think about her.

After a lifetime of caring, I just can’t anymore. So I don’t. But if I had a choice between being remembered as mean or as beloved… I choose beloved.”