On May 26, 2022, Ellen DeGeneres ended her 19-year daytime talk show run with a tearful goodbye. Jennifer Aniston, her first guest from 2003, returned. Ellen reflected on her journey from being unable to say "gay" on television to building a $500 million empire on the message "be kind to one another."
What she didn't say: she'd spent the previous two years embroiled in one of the most spectacular celebrity downfalls in modern history, accused of presiding over a toxic workplace culture that contradicted everything her brand stood for.
The woman who told us to "be kind" was allegedly anything but. And the internet never forgave her.
The Groundbreaking Coming Out (April 30, 1997)
Twenty-five years before her downfall, Ellen DeGeneres did something no primetime TV star had ever done: she came out as gay.
April 14, 1997: Ellen appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "Yep, I'm Gay."
April 30, 1997: "The Puppy Episode" of her sitcom Ellen aired, in which her character came out to her therapist (played by Oprah Winfrey).
The iconic line: When the therapist asks "And what was his name?" Ellen responds: "Susan."
Viewership: 42 million Americans watched—a massive audience.
The episode won an Emmy. DeGeneres received a Peabody Award.
But the cost was brutal.
The Immediate Backlash
- Death threats flooded in
- At least one bomb threat to the studio
- A producer received calls saying he was "going to Hell"
- Ellen was followed by a "suspicious man" to the studio on multiple occasions
- Oprah Winfrey received "more hate mail by being my therapist on the show than anything she'd ever gotten before"
Career Devastation
Season 5: Ratings plummeted after the show was criticized for being "too gay" Cancellation: ABC canceled Ellen approximately one year after "The Puppy Episode" Laura Dern's career: "I did not work for a year and a half" after playing Ellen's love interest Susan Ellen's wilderness years: Struggled to find work for three years following cancellation
For coming out, Ellen was essentially blacklisted from Hollywood.
The Comeback: Building the Daytime Empire (2003-2019)
After a brief, failed sitcom (The Ellen Show, 2001), Ellen pivoted to daytime talk.
September 8, 2003: The Ellen DeGeneres Show launched in syndication.
The concept: a positive, uplifting show with dancing, surprises, celebrity guests, and generous giveaways. No politics. No drama. Just kindness.
Her signature sign-off: "Be kind to one another."
The Award Domination
- 64 Daytime Emmy Awards total
- 33 Daytime Emmy Awards for Ellen personally
- 12 awards for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show (category record holder)
- Most decorated talk show in daytime television history
The Empire
Net worth peak: $500 million Annual earnings (2018): $87.5 million Annual earnings (2018-2019): $80 million Annual earnings (2019-2020): $60 million per season
Production company: A Very Good Production (founded 2003) Record company: Eleveneleven Lifestyle brand: ED
Real estate empire: Over $100 million in profits from flipping 20+ properties
Cultural Icon Status
November 2016: Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama—the highest civilian honor.
Ellen became more than a TV host—she was a symbol of LGBTQ+ acceptance, kindness, and second chances. Her coming out story inspired millions. Her show brightened millions of lives.
Or so it seemed.
March 2020: The "Mean Ellen" Twitter Thread
In March 2020, comedian Kevin T. Porter tweeted a challenge:
"Right now we all need a little kindness. You know, like Ellen Degeneres always talks about! She's also notoriously one of the meanest people alive. Respond to this with the most insane stories you've heard about Ellen being mean & I'll match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank"
The response: Over 1,000 replies flooded in with stories of "mean Ellen."
The Stories
Russell Brand incident: When Russell Brand chatted with crew in the employee break area, "Ellen came in and got mad at him—saying he didn't have to interact with these people, that's why guests have their own area backstage."
Hallway snubs: Multiple employees reported Ellen never acknowledged greetings in hallways, wouldn't smile or say hello.
The "consistency": Kevin Porter later noted that the sheer consistency of similar stories made them hard to dismiss.
The internet started asking: Was Ellen's "be kind" persona fake?
July 2020: The BuzzFeed Bombshell
July 16, 2020: BuzzFeed News published a devastating investigation.
Reporters spoke to 1 current and 10 former employees (all anonymous due to fear of retribution).
The allegations: a "culture of racism, fear and intimidation" on set.
The Racist Incidents
The box braids comment: A senior-level producer told two Black employees on their first day: "Oh wow, you both have box braids; I hope we don't get you confused."
The name incident: The main writer told a Black employee at a work party: "I'm sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here."
The "PC police": When a Black employee asked producers to stop using offensive terms like "spirit animal" in segments, colleagues called her "the PC police."
One Black employee "essentially walked off the job" after enduring racist comments for a year and a half.
The Fear-Based Culture
Employees reported being fired for taking medical leave or bereavement days.
Mental health firing: An employee took one month of medical leave after a suicide attempt. Upon return, they were told their position was "being eliminated."
Family funeral punishment: Multiple employees claimed they were terminated after taking bereavement leave to attend family funerals.
A climate of fear prevented employees from speaking up.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations
August 2020: BuzzFeed reported that dozens of former employees accused producers of "rampant sexual misconduct."
Allegations targeted the three top producers:
- Inappropriate sexual comments
- Unwanted advances
- Hostile work environment
Ellen's Initial Response
July 30, 2020: DeGeneres sent a letter to staff apologizing.
"I'm disappointed that the workplace was not the 'place of happiness' she sought to create."
Many employees felt the apology fell short—it placed responsibility on managers rather than Ellen herself.
The Downfall Accelerates (August 2020 - September 2021)
Warner Bros. Internal Investigation
July 2020: WarnerMedia launched a formal investigation, interviewing 100+ people.
Finding: "No evidence of 'systemic' racism" but acknowledged "deficiencies related to the show's day-to-day management."
Translation: Problems existed but weren't officially systemic.
Three Executive Producers Fired
August 17, 2020: Warner Bros. announced terminations:
- Ed Glavin: Executive producer (ousted)
- Kevin Leman: Executive producer (ousted)
- Jonathan Norman: Co-executive producer (ousted)
Promotion: DJ Stephen "tWitch" Boss elevated to co-executive producer as part of "new chapter."
Celebrity Responses
Brad Garrett (appeared on show 6 times): "Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow. Know more than one who were treated horribly by her. Common knowledge."
Lea Thompson (Back to the Future star): "True story. It is." (responding to Garrett)
Notable silence: Many A-list celebrities who built careers through Ellen's platform remained quiet.
The lack of public support spoke volumes.
The Ratings Collapse
Season 17 to Season 18 comparison:
- Viewership dropped from 2.6 million to 1.5 million
- 1 million viewer loss
Overall ratings decline:
- 43% drop in overall ratings
- 38% decline among women under 54 (her primary audience)
- Season 18 premiere week: 1.7 million vs. 2.7 million (Season 17 premiere) = 37% decline
- Household ratings: Down 47%, averaging 1.0 rating
While syndicated talk shows averaged 19% decline, Ellen's drop was the largest.
The Sponsor Pullback
September-January 2019-20: $131 million from advertisers September-January 2020-21: $105 million Revenue loss: 20% decline ($26 million)
Booking A-list celebrity guests became difficult as stars distanced themselves.
May 12, 2021: The Announcement
Ellen announced Season 19 would be her last.
Her explanation: The show was "no longer challenging" her. She needed new creative challenges.
The timing: Came during the "rocky 2020-21 season" following scandal.
Public perception: Many viewed the "creative challenge" explanation as face-saving. The controversy clearly played a role.
Final episode: May 26, 2022
The Final Season and Farewell (2021-2022)
Season 19 Viewership
Continued ratings decline throughout the final season, stabilizing around 1.4 million viewers per episode.
Total decline from peak: Nearly 50% of audience lost since scandal.
Some nostalgia bump for final episodes, but nowhere near former glory.
The Final Show (May 26, 2022)
Guest lineup:
- Jennifer Aniston (her first guest in 2003)
- Billie Eilish
- Pink
Aniston's gift: Welcome mat reading "Thanks For the Memories"—callback to mat she brought in 2003.
Ellen's reflection: "When we started this show I couldn't say 'gay' on the show. I was not allowed to say 'gay.' I said it every single day."
She framed her legacy around LGBTQ+ progress rather than workplace scandal.
Final message: "If I've done anything in the past 19 years, I hope I've inspired you to be yourself. Your true, authentic self."
She avoided directly addressing workplace allegations in the finale.
Post-Show Life (2023-2025)
The Netflix Special: "For Your Approval" (September 24, 2024)
Ellen's second Netflix special addressed the controversy—sort of.
Her framing: "I got kicked out of show business because I'm 'mean'... You can't be mean in show business, they'll kick you out."
Her defense: "I can be demanding and impatient and tough," and "I am a strong woman," but insisted "I am not mean."
The problem: She reduced serious workplace allegations to "people thinking she's mean."
Critical Reception
Largely negative reviews:
- TIME: "Unfunny Netflix Special Leaves Much Unsaid"
- Variety: "Lets Herself Off the Hook in Self-Indulgent Netflix Special"
- Slate: "I expected the Netflix special to be rough. I didn't expect this"
Common criticism: DeGeneres minimized serious allegations and made herself the victim.
Audiences felt she "didn't get it"—failed to take full accountability.
Plans to Leave Show Business
During her 2024 tour, Ellen told audiences: "This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I'm done."
She stated intention to fully retire from entertainment and focus on private life with wife Portia de Rossi (married September 2012).
The "Be Kind" Paradox
For 19 years, Ellen ended every show with "Be kind to one another."
The phrase became her entire brand identity. Merchandised on t-shirts, mugs, promotional materials.
The irony: The higher she set the moral bar, the harder the fall when allegations emerged.
The Disconnect
Public persona:
- Dancing, gift-giving, crying with audience members
- Championing underdogs
- LGBTQ+ advocate
Private reality (alleged):
- Refusing to acknowledge staff
- Enabling racist behavior
- Fear-based management
The gap: The distance between who she appeared to be and who employees experienced created profound betrayal.
The Dakota Johnson Viral Moment (November 2019)
The setup: Dakota Johnson appeared on Ellen shortly after her 30th birthday.
Ellen's joke: "How was the party? I wasn't invited."
Johnson's response: "That's not the truth, Ellen."
Johnson revealed: "Last time I was on the show, last year, you gave me a bunch of shit about not inviting you, but I didn't even know you wanted to be invited... I didn't even know you liked me."
Ellen's excuse: She was out of town.
The revelation: Ellen was at the Dallas Cowboys game with George W. Bush instead.
Producer confirmation: "Yes, she was invited."
Cultural moment: The clip went viral. Johnson was praised for "standing up" to Ellen.
Significance: In retrospect, seen as an early public crack in the "kind" facade.
The George W. Bush Controversy (October 2019)
October 6, 2019: Ellen photographed laughing with George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys game.
The backlash: LGBTQ+ community and liberals outraged at her friendship with a president who opposed gay marriage and led the Iraq War.
Ellen's defense (October 8, 2019):
"I'm friends with George Bush. In fact, I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have... Just because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean that I am not going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don't mean only the people that think the same way you do. I mean be kind to everyone."
The criticism: Privileged to befriend someone whose policies harmed LGBTQ+ people.
Pattern recognition: Another moment where "be kind" rang hollow.
The Legacy: Complicated and Contested
The Achievements
- Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation (1997 coming out)
- 19-year daytime dominance
- 64 Daytime Emmy Awards
- $500 million empire
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Inspired millions
The Downfall
- Toxic workplace allegations
- Racist incidents on set
- Fear-based culture
- Sexual misconduct (by producers)
- 50% ratings loss
- Brand destroyed
Public Perception Shift
From: Beloved cultural icon, LGBTQ+ hero, "Queen of Nice" To: Symbol of celebrity hypocrisy, toxic workplace enabler
Permanent association: "Be kind" brand now carries ironic connotation.
What We Learn from Ellen's Fall
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Brand and reality must align: You can't build a "be kind" empire while allegedly being cruel.
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Power corrupts: Success and adulation can create disconnect from accountability.
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Authenticity matters: Audiences felt deceived—they'd been sold a lie.
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Legacy is fragile: 19 years of success destroyed in months.
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Redemption requires accountability: Ellen's refusal to fully own the allegations prevented redemption.
The Unfinished Story
At 67, Ellen DeGeneres claims she's done with entertainment.
The 2024 Netflix special was supposed to be closure. Instead, it reopened wounds.
The questions remain:
- Was Ellen genuinely unaware of the culture on her set?
- Did power change her, or was she always this way?
- Can someone champion LGBTQ+ rights and still be problematic?
- Is redemption possible?
The reality:
- The 1997 coming out changed television forever (42 million viewers, cultural milestone)
- The workplace allegations changed how we view her (toxic culture, fear, racism)
- Both things are true
Ellen DeGeneres's story is about the cost of fame, the danger of curating a perfect persona, and the truth that eventually, the gap between who we say we are and who we actually are will be revealed.
She told us to "be kind." We believed her. Then we learned she might not have believed it herself.
That's not just a celebrity downfall. It's a lesson about authenticity, accountability, and the danger of building a brand on a virtue you don't practice.
Ellen's legacy will always be complicated: the pioneer who changed LGBTQ+ visibility forever, and the boss who allegedly enabled a toxic workplace.
The woman who asked everyone to be kind became a symbol of unkindness.
And we'll never forget either version of her story.
