Where Is Ellen DeGeneres Now? A Look Back at Her Past Controversy and What She's Doing Today

Here's what the former talk show host has been up to since stepping away from Hollywood in the wake of toxic work environment allegations in July 2020

Ellen DeGeneres is speaking out in her first (and last) Netflix comedy special since ending her eponymous talk show in May 2022.

The comedian stepped away from the spotlight after nearly 20 years on the air following toxic workplace accusations made against her and a report published by BuzzFeed News in July 2020.

Four years later, the former host hit the stage for a three-night stand-up show in Santa Rosa as part of her "Ellen’s Last Stand…Up" tour. During her set, she updated the audience on her life in the wake of the show's wrap.

"Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” DeGeneres told the crowd at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, according to SFGate. “I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean."

The Emmy winner continued to discuss the lessons she's learned about herself since her step back. In April 2024, DeGeneres got real with a Los Angeles crowd during a Q&A that followed her stand-up routine.

She admitted that she "had a hard time" and "didn't get out" amid the scandal. "I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating," she said at the time. "It took a long time for me to want to do anything again."

DeGeneres' most recent comedy special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, premiered on Netflix in September 2024. The comedian has said it will be the last of her career.

Read on to learn about the backlash Ellen DeGeneres faced, what she's been up to since stepping away from Hollywood and what's next for the comedian.

What was Ellen DeGeneres accused of?

In July 2020, DeGeneres was accused of creating an unhealthy and "toxic work environment" on her show. The accusations were made by anonymous former and current staffers of hers in a report published by BuzzFeed News.

Claims included being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions and fear of retribution for raising complaints. In the July 16 report, the ex-employees claimed that DeGeneres' "be kind" attitude is "all for show."

Executive producers Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly said in a statement at the time that they take full responsibility for daily operations on the show. "It's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us," they said in part.

After the BuzzFeed report, it was announced that The Ellen Show was under internal review by WarnerMedia.

DeGeneres also sent a lengthy memo to the staff, saying in part that she is "glad the issues at our show were brought to my attention" and that they are "taking steps ... to correct" them.

Related: Everything to Know About Ellen DeGeneres' Ongoing Talk Show Controversy

On July 30, BuzzFeed published a second report, this time revealing that former employees of The Ellen Show have anonymously alleged sexual misconduct and harassment involving top producers at the show.

The former staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, leveled allegations about the culture behind the scenes of the show, including against head writer Kevin Leman and executive producer Glavin.

In the days that followed, several celebrities spoke out in support of DeGeneres, including the comedian's wife Portia De Rossi and Katy Perry. Others, like the show's former DJ Tony Okungbowa, stood in support of his colleagues.

On Aug. 17, DeGeneres made a second apology to staffers after three of show's top producers — Glavin, Leman and Jonathan Norman — parted ways with the show after an internal investigation by WarnerMedia, a Warner Bros. spokesperson to PEOPLE.

Leman and Norman have denied the allegations against them, while Glavin has not publicly addressed them. At the time, Variety reported that producers Lassner, Connelly and Derek Westervelt would continue on with the show.

Why did The Ellen DeGeneres Show end?

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended with season 19, airing its final episode in May 2022. DeGeneres welcomed back her first-ever guest Jennifer Aniston to close out the show, in addition to guests like Pink and Billie Eilish.

DeGeneres first announced that her eponymous talk show — which debuted in 2003 and earned 64 Daytime Emmys over the years — would come to an end in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter published on May 12, 2021.

"When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," DeGeneres told THR. She further discussed her decision to end the show during an episode of Today and with Oprah Winfrey.

Anchor Savannah Guthrie spoke with the TV personality about the news of the show's end. "Did you feel like you were being canceled?" asked Guthrie following allegations of workplace toxicity.

"I really didn't understand it; I still don't understand it," DeGeneres replied in part. "It was too orchestrated; it was too coordinated."

As for whether she was leaving due to the controversy, the talk show host said, "If that was why I was quitting, I would've not come back this year. I really did think about not coming back because it was devastating." She continued, "I am a kind person... I am a person who likes to make people happy."

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Says Ending Her Show Is the 'Right Thing' During Discussion with Oprah Winfrey

Is Ellen DeGeneres still doing stand-up comedy?

DeGeneres, who got her start in stand-up comedy, returned to her roots for the first time in 15 years with the release of her Netflix special Relatable in December 2018.

In February 2024, she teased her return to stand-up when she took the stage at the Largo in Los Angeles to perform a surprise set in Beth Stelling’s "Beth & Pals" show. She posted a video on Instagram that previewed her routine.

In an April 2024 stand-up set at the Largo, DeGeneres looked back at her talk show with a sense of humor and joked about getting "kicked out of show business" for being "mean" in reference to the July 2020 BuzzFeed News report.

After musing about how she became the "most hated person in America" amid the swirling headlines, DeGeneres said that "the hate went on for a long time." The comedian explained, "I would try to avoid looking at the news... The 'be kind' girl wasn't kind. That was the headline," she added in part.

In May 2024, it was announced DeGeneres would embark on the "Ellen’s Last Stand… Up" tour consisting of 27 shows. Less than one month after its start in June, she canceled several show dates between July and August, per Ticketmaster.

Has Ellen DeGeneres said anything about the allegations?

DeGeneres has opened up about the "toxic work environment" allegations in interviews, Q&As and routines since the claims were published by BuzzFeed News in July 2020. Most recently, she referenced them in her July 1 stand-up set for her "Ellen’s Last Stand…Up" tour.

"Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she said at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, according to SFGate. “I got chickens. Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.”

"I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me,'" she admitted. “Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity."

She went on to joke: “Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay and mean, the triple crown."

The outlet reported DeGeneres also addressed what could have prompted the accusations about her. “I can be demanding and impatient and tough,” she explained. “I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean."

In her 2024 Netflix special, DeGeneres said that she "got kicked out of show business" because she was "mean" and pointed out double standards for how men and women should act.

“We have all these unwritten rules based on gender of acceptable behavior, of who we’re allowed to be, and how we’re allowed to act,” she said in the special. “And if we don’t follow those rules, it makes people uncomfortable. And when people get uncomfortable, there are consequences. For those of you keeping score, this is the second time I’ve been kicked out of show business.”

Related: Ellen DeGeneres Says She's 'Done' After Her Upcoming Netflix Special

Where is Ellen DeGeneres now?

Tour aside, DeGeneres announced in May 2024 that she would be releasing a Netflix special later in the year. According to the comedian, the show — which marks her second on the streamer after Relatable in 2018 — is her last taped special.

In a release shared with PEOPLE, DeGeneres said, "To answer the questions everyone is asking me — Yes, I’m going to talk about it. Yes this is my last special. Yes, Portia [de Rossi] really is that pretty in real life."

During the Q&A portion of DeGeneres' July 1 stand-up routine on tour, she was asked about whether she would return to fame in the future now that she has had time to reflect on her mistakes.

DeGeneres gave a hard “no," per SFGate. The comedian added, “This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done."

The special debuted on Sept. 24, 2024, and ended with DeGeneres' musings on what it was like to spend "an entire lifetime trying to make people happy."

“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 with time, you gain perspective ... with perspective, you realize that caring what people think to a degree is healthy, but not if it affects your mental health,” she said.

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