Ellen DeGeneres Admits Her Scandal 'Consumed' Her & Ultimately Changed Her Perspective on Fame

Back in 2020, a shocking report with toxic workplace allegations against The Ellen DeGeneres Show shocked the country (and perhaps even the world). After all, Ellen DeGeneres was, for many, one of the most kind and bubbly people in Hollywood, so accusations of her being mean and cruel was quite a surprise.

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And now, over four years since the Buzzfeed News piece was published, the actress and comedian is looking back at it all in her new Netflix comedy special, Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval .

“I’m happy not being a boss or a brand or a billboard, just a person,” DeGeneres said onstage, per People . “[I’m] just a multifaceted person with different feelings and emotions, and I can be happy and sad and compassionate or frustrated. I have OCD and ADD. I’m honest. I’m generous. I’m sensitive and thoughtful.”

“But I’m tough, and I’m impatient, and I’m demanding. I’m direct,” she continued. “I’m a strong woman.” Of course, that last line was then met with applause from the audience.

DeGeneres then went on to explain how the scandal, and saying goodbye to her daytime talk show in 2022, changed her perspective on fame.

“When you’re a public figure, you’re open to everyone’s interpretation,” she explained. “And I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that, ‘What other people think of me is none of my business’ because people will say all kinds of things and you have no control over that, but you know the truth and that’s all that matters,” she said.

Instead, DeGeneres admitted that being famous, especially in comedy, left her with no choice but to “care what people think” because “it’s our only real currency for success.”

“If they like you, you’re in, and if they don’t, you’re out,” she continued. “And I’ve spent an entire lifetime trying to make people happy and I’ve cared far too much what other people think of me. So, the thought of anyone thinking that I’m mean was devastating to me, and it consumed me for a long time.”

But as she worked through those feelings, her opinion on what the outside world thought of her changed too.

“After a lifetime of caring, I just can’t anymore,” she admitted. “So I don’t.”

“But if I’m being honest… and I have a choice of people remembering me as someone who was mean or someone who was beloved. Be-lov-ed? Beloved? Beloved. Someone who is beloved? …. ” DeGeneres said. “I choose that.”

Looks like DeGeneres has made her peace with the scandals and all the accusations made about her, whether she had the right takeaway from it or not. DeGeneres’ comedy special is now out on Netflix.

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