Ellen DeGeneres Responds To Controversy During Standup Tour: ‘I Am Many Things, But I Am Not Mean’

Hinting that it may be her last hoorah on tour, DeGeneres has dubbed this series of standup shows Ellen’s Last Stand…Up, but she did get serious with the crowd on Monday night in Santa Rosa, California.

It was an energetic room of fans who were very supportive of the one-time queen of daytime television when she got straight to the point and addressed the elephant in her career, talking about the label that she said “got [her] kicked out of show business.”

I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me,'” DeGeneres admitted. “Now I realize I sad that during the height of my popularity.” Now, four years out from the moment that rocked her popularity and two years from the end of her show, the comedian is still doing damage control.

She set up the crowd for the conversation, as reported by SFGate, with a quip. “Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she said, leading into a long pause she finally broke by saying, “I got chickens.”

She then added, “Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.” She compared perception of her to how male leaders would be treated, acknowledging, “I can be demanding and impatient and tough. I am a strong woman.”

DeGeneres told the crowd, “I am many things, but I am not mean.” She explained that her intention was never to hurt anyone. Among allegations slung at her were that she made comments about race, intimidated, and even fired people for taking medical leave — or in one particular allegation, for looking at and talking to her.

DeGeneres did admit to being harsh at times, and an immature boss, per SFGate, but didn’t come right out and own the allegations that stemmed from a 2020 Buzzfeed story and a viral Twitter thread asking people to come forward with their stories.

“Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay and mean, the triple crown,” DeGeneres joked, referencing the fact that this is the second time she’s been “kicked out,” with the first being after she came out as gay in her eponymous sitcom in 1997.

Whether Hollywood kicks her out or not, DeGeneres was adamant in a Q&A session after her show that this tour — and its upcoming Netflix special — will be her final foray in public life. “This is the last time you’re going to see me,” she told one hopeful fan. “After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

DeGeneres was scheduled to continue her tour with stops lined up in Dallas (July 10), San Francisco (July 21), Seattle (July 23), and Chicago (August 11), but has canceled all four of those shows.