Posts Tagged: Ellen DeGeneres

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Anne Heche: ‘Ellen DeGeneres Romance Ruined My Career’

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Anne Heche (right) said her three-year lesbian romance with Ellen DeGeneres (left) ruined her movie career.

Heche met DeGeneres at a Vanity Fair party in 1997 and the pair soon began dating, but she admits her highly-publicized relationship with the comedienne deeply affected her career.

"My movie premiere for Volcano, I had told them (producers) that I was taking Ellen as my date and I was told if I took Ellen I would lose my Fox contract," she tells People magazine.

"At that moment, she took my hand and said, 'Do what they say' and I said, 'No thanks'. I took Ellen to the premiere and I was ushered out before the movie even ended and was told I was not allowed to go to my own after party for fear that they would get pictures of me with a woman.

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"She was warning me, 'This is going to happen'. I was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres for three-and-a-half years and the stigma attached to that relationship was so bad that I was fired from my multi-million dollar picture deal and I did not work in a studio picture for 10 years."

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DeGeneres and Heche split in August 2000 and Heche gave up the lesbian lifestyle.

Heche, 51, married Coleman Laffoon in September, 2001. She then moved on to a romance with actor James Tupper.

DeGeneres, 62, tied the knot with actress Portia De Rossi in 2008.

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TV execs ask Ellen DeGeneres to step down gracefully after repeats of Ellen Show canceled in Australia; Search is on for replacement host

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The hammer dropped on repeats of Ellen DeGeneres's daytime talk show in Australia.

A Channel Nine spox told Daily Mail Australia the channel will no longer air repeats of the talk show as of Monday, amid reports of racism and sexual harassment on Ellen's set in the U.S.

"We are resting Ellen repeats on Nine and have replaced with Desperate Housewives," the spokesman said.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been in repeats in the U.S. since Buzzfeed News broke the story earlier this year.

The news comes after Ellen made a tearful appearance during a Zoom video conferencing call with her staff on Aug. 17.
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Staffers were reportedly "upbeat" after they learned three executive producers were fired. But two other troublesome producers -- close friends of Ellen's - were not let go.

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The 62-year-old talk show host was seen leaving lunch with a friend in Santa Barbara on Saturday.

Warner Bros. is currently investigating numerous complaints of the "toxic" environment on the Ellen set.

Former employees complained that Ellen contributed to the toxic environment by ordering staffers not to make eye contact with her.

According to sources, execs asked Ellen to make a graceful exit, as the show cannot be salvaged with her at the helm.

A search is currently underway for her replacement. James Corden and Kevin Hart are reportedly being considered for the TV gig.

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Ellen DeGeneres Called a ‘Liar’ After Denying She Ordered No Eye Contact

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Ellen DeGeneres held a virtual staff meeting after two more producers were let go amid reports of a toxic work environment on her show.

DeGeneres boosted staff morale with a Zoom video call on Monday, Aug. 17, following the news that two producers had been axed from her daytime talk show.

DeGeneres reportedly took part in a video call during which she apologized for her "bad days" and promised she'd do better going forward.

Producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman were all told their services are no longer required, according to Deadline.com sources, who reveal the news was shared during the virtual staff meeting on Monday.

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"Producers, Ellen and crew were on a video call this afternoon," a source told Us Weekly. "Ellen addressed them. It really boosted morale. She opened up and was being real. (She) admitted to being multilayered and said she has good days and bad days. She said people on the call would know that she has not asked people not to look her in the eyes on set."

The daytime talk show host has been under fire since allegations about her treatment of employees were first exposed in a Buzzfeed article earlier this summer.

She issued an apology, but executives at WarnerMedia, the company behind The Ellen DeGeneres Show, decided to launch a wider investigation into the allegations.

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DeGeneres, 62, reportedly denied telling people not to make eye contact with her backstage or on the set. She called the claim "crazy" and "not true".

She apparently told her employees that they shouldn't "be afraid to address her and say hi".

"She encouraged it," the source added.

But former staffers took to social media to call her a liar.

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One person wrote, "Liar. You were called out for being a total BITCH so your response is to fire other people. Typical Hollywood hypocrite."

Another said, "So Ellen had claims of sexual abuse, systemic racism and her just plain being mean to her employees and so what does she do? Fires 3 producers and says her show will be better than ever next month."

There are unconfirmed reports that The Ellen DeGeneres Show will be canceled. Friends say the reports have caused considerable concern for DeGeneres, who dreads doing standup comedy tours to pay her bills.

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Kevin Hart enjoys a glass of wine with Ellen DeGeneres

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Comedian Kevin Hart stepped up his public support for embattled TV host Ellen DeGeneres by meeting up for a Los Angeles lunch date.

On Saturday, he was photographed enjoying a drink with DeGeneres on the patio at Santa Monica's Rosewood Miramar Hotel.

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The Finding Dory star found herself under attack in recent weeks after past and present staff members came forward with claims suggesting misconduct, racism, and sexual harassment were rampant behind the scenes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Hart, 41, was among the talk show host's few celebrity friends to speak out in her defense earlier this month.

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Hart had previously called for a stop to the hate directed at DeGeneres amid the TV scandal, branding her "one of the dopest people on the f**king planet", insisting she doesn't deserve all the "negativity".

The comedian took a lot of flack for defending DeGeneres, who invited the funnyman on her show after he was nearly canceled for past homophobic comments.

Ellen had previously stood by Hart after he stepped down as host of the 2019 Oscars following controversy linked to old tweets featuring derogatory homophobic words he had once posted.

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Octavia Spencer sends her support to Ellen DeGeneres amid rumors Ellen’s talk show is canceled

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Oscar winner Octavia Spencer showed her love and support for embattled daytime talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday.

Spencer, 50, posted a B&W throwback high school photo of DeGeneres on her Instagram account. In the lengthy caption, she wrote:

"Sending love and support to Ellen and all of the employees of her show. All of my interactions with everyone from the show including ELLEN were supportive and fun! In that spirit I am praying all involved get the love and support they need."

Spencer updated her post after the comments went left, as her followers objected to the actress and other Black stars rushing to 62-year-old DeGeneres' defense.

"UPDATE: lively debate happening in the comments. I welcome that. I also believe that all of the voices of her employees need to be heard. Past and present. Speaking truth to power is the only way change happens. My truth is everyone was kind to me. From the PAs to the producers. So yeah! I want all of those people to feel valued and heard. And no, people are NOT always kind to talent! #AllVoicesNeedToBeHeard #beyekindonetoanother".

Spencer is one of the most decorated Hollywood actresses. Her list of accolades includes an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is one of two Black women to receive three Oscar nominations and two consecutive nominations.

Spencer is the latest Black star to defend DeGeneres publicly. Comedian Kevin Hart, who was nearly canceled for old homophobic statements, was among the first to show his support.

DeGeneres' set DJ, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, broke his silence to show love to his boss.

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Boss is pictured with his wife, dancer Allison Holker, daughter Weslie Fowler and son Maddox Laurel Boss.

"We can't speak too much legally about it, but I'll say this, there's been love," the 37-year-old dancer, told Us Weekly.

"Obviously there's some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there's been love. I'll just leave it at that until there's a time where we can address more publicly. There's been love and there will continue to be love."

There are unconfirmed reports that DeGeneres's daytime talk show is canceled amid reports that she ignored harassment and racism on her show.
 

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Kevin Hart responds after social media dragged him for supporting Ellen DeGeneres

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Kevin Hart responded after he was rudely dragged on social media for showing support to embattled daytime television host Ellen DeGeneres.

DeGeneres faces cancellation of her Ellen DeGeneres Show after suffering its worst ratings decline ever.

Hart joined other Black millionaires, such as singer Tyrese Gibson, in a show of support for DeGeneres after past and present staffers accused her of contributing to a "toxic" environment on the set.

Hart shared a message of support for DeGeneres on Instagram.com, saying, "It's crazy to see my friend go thru what she's going thru publicly. I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she's one of the dopest people on the f---ing planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity. We are falling in love with people's downfall. It's honestly sad. When did we get here?"

But his followers were less not impressed by Hart's message. They dragged him on social media for defending DeGeneres after Black staffers confirmed the troubling reports about her.

One IG user wrote: "Oh the millionaire treated the other millionaire with respect? May as well end the investigation here."

Another user wrote, "Stay out of the Ellen show toxicity issue it's not about you it's about the employees who worked under her. Workplace bullying happens and never discount the ones that were victimized!! If you want to support Ellen GIVE HER A CALL IN PRIVATE!! Of course She's not gonna treat big celebs horribly!"

In a follow-up video on Tuesday, Hart shared his frustration at users dragging his good name.

"This social media sh-t is getting out of hand, dude. It is truly getting out of hand," he said, before defending his actions.
 

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‘Ellen Degeneres Show’ Hit with Sexual Misconduct Allegations From 36 Former Employees

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Ellen Degeneres has come under fire once again after 36 former employees came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.

Just hours after the 63-year-old comedienne admitted she was "sorry" about the "toxic" work environment on her Ellen DeGeneres Show, BuzzFeed published the new article, noting, the daytime talk show "is a place where sexual harassment and misconduct by top executive producers runs rampant," according to, "dozens of men and women who work behind the scenes".

Speaking about their experiences, the 36 former employees range from longtime, senior-level execs to production assistants.

They claim senior producers regularly made sexually explicit comments in the office, and many of the targets were "lower-level and younger employees who felt they lacked any power to speak up."

Other employees alleged inappropriate touching took place, with many of the allegations made against executive producer Ed Glavin, who has been terminated.

"We're young people who were forming our careers and were unfortunately subjected to a toxic work environment as some of our first jobs out of college," a former employee told BuzzFeed.

"Some of us were sexually harassed and that's what was shaping our careers our first year out of school."

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Degeneres addressed the allegations in an emotional statement obtained by Variety.com.

"On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' would be a place of happiness - no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case," DeGeneres wrote.

While Warner Bros. executives issued a new statement after launching an investigation into the allegations.

"The Ellen DeGeneres Show is, and has always strived to be, a place that brings positivity to the world," they said. "We have identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them."

Referring to coming out as a lesbian in 2009, Degeneres said, "As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded. To think that any one of you felt that way is awful to me."

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Ellen DeGeneres Deletes Tweet After Referring to Black People as ‘People of Color’

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Ellen DeGeneres is feeling the pressure of supporting Black Lives Matter after posting a vague tweet about the ongoing protests across America.

The 62-year-old talk show host was heavily criticized on Twitter.com after she posted a tweet referring to Black people as "people of color."

"Like so many of you, I am angry and I am sad," DeGeneres wrote on Saturday. "People of color in this country have faced injustice for far too long. For things to change, things must change."

Her tweet brought an avalanche of criticism from Black people who refuse to be relegated to people of color.

"Not people of color. George Floyd was black," wrote on furious Twitter user. "Why being so callous? Seriously?"

DeGeneres counts the Obamas and Jay-Z among her influential Black friends. But social media users declare DeGeneres is woefully out of touch with the Black community.

"I still find it funny how Ellen Degeneres, a woman who is famous for boastfully signing life-size checks to random people on her show, can't even post a screenshot on the internet of her donating money in support of Black lives," another Twitter user wrote.

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Ellen DeGeneres ‘at the end of her rope’ after ‘mean’ stories continue to circulate

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Ellen DeGeneres is reportedly "at the end of her rope" after her employees and former staffers called her "mean" and said she is difficult to work with.

DeGeneres began trending on Twitter when beauty YouTuber Nikkie de Jager (a.k.a. NikkieTutorials) accused DeGeneres of being "cold and distant" when the blogger appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in January.

Then comic Kevin T. Porter sent out a tweet urging people to message him "the most insane stories... about Ellen" to raise money for a Los Angeles food bank.

Porter's timeline was flooded with messages from people who described her as "notoriously one of the meanest people alive."

A former bodyguard, who protected the 62-year-old television mogul at the 2014 Oscars, described her as being "cold".

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Tom Majercak claims DeGeneres refused to make eye contact with him and treated him in a "demeaning" manner.

"Ellen is the one person that I've been assigned to - and I've been assigned to quite a few celebrities - that has never taken the time to say hi to me," Majercak told Fox News.

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He said DeGeneres's life partner, Portia de Rossi, 47, was "nice" and he said she spoke to him while DeGeneres acted like he didn't exist.

Staffers described the openly lesbian TV host as being "mean" and others said "she isn't always nice" to her employees.

A source told the New York Post, "It irritates me that people think she's all sweetness and light and she gets away with it."

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DeGeneres was slammed as "tone deaf" after she complained that being at home in her $27 million California mansion was "like being in jail."

Ellen is taping her show with a skeleton crew from her home while on quarantine.

Crew members said they were told to expect a 60 percent decrease in their take home pay, while DeGeneres continues to earn $77 million per year.

DeGeneres managed to find one friend who defended her publicly on Wednesday.

The unnamed source told Us Weekly that "Ellen is at the end of her rope."

"She thought this was all just sour grapes from a few haters. But it's not a passing thing — the hits just keep coming."