Ellen DeGeneres, known for her talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, recently kicked off her Ellen’s Last Stand … Up Tour in West Hollywood, where she poked fun at her own career downfall. DeGeneres joked about getting kicked out of show business and trolled herself during the show. She also mentioned the controversy that engulfed her show in 2020, where she was accused of producing a toxic work environment, despite her iconic parting line of “Be kind to one another.”
The fallout over how The Ellen DeGeneres Show concluded and the stain on her reputation is something that DeGeneres hasn’t fully moved on from. She admitted that looking back, she realized she was a boss who didn’t know how to be a boss despite being the face of the show. DeGeneres joked about the talk show drama not being the first time Hollywood pushed her out, referencing her earlier revelation of being gay in the 1990s on her sitcom, Ellen. She also joked about eventually being kicked out a third time because she is “mean, old, and gay.”
While DeGeneres had the audience laughing during her show, much of her set was centered around the heartbreak of losing The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She spoke about the toll it took on her ego and self-esteem, expressing the extremes of love and hate in the entertainment industry. DeGeneres opened up more during an encore, admitting that the way the show ended was devastating for her, as she loved the show and hated that it would be the last impression people had of her.
Ellen’s Last Stand … Up Tour, which kicked off in April, continues throughout July along the West Coast, including dates in Washington, Oregon, and California. DeGeneres uses humor to address the challenges she faced following the end of her talk show, sharing her personal struggles and emotions with the audience. Despite the setbacks in her career, DeGeneres remains resilient and continues to find ways to connect with her fans through her comedy and self-deprecating humor.
