Ellen DeGeneres is addressing past allegations of being “mean” in her new Netflix stand-up special, For Your Approval. The comedian reflected on how her career in the entertainment industry pushed her to care deeply about what people think, but after a “lifetime of caring,” she says she can no longer continue living that way.
What Ellen said
Ellen shared, “When you’re a public figure, you’re open to everyone’s interpretation. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, ‘What other people think of me is none of my business.’ People will say all kinds of things, and you have no control over that. But you know the truth, and that’s all that matters. If people like you, you’re in, and if they don’t, you’re out. I’ve spent my entire life trying to make people happy, and I’ve cared way too much about what others think of me. So, the idea that people thought I was mean was devastating, and it consumed me for a long time. After a lifetime of caring, I just can’t anymore. So, I don’t.”
She continued, “But if I’m being honest… and I had to choose whether people remember me as someone who was mean or someone who was beloved—beloved? Be-lov-ed? Beloved?—I’d choose beloved.”
More details
Ellen hosted the immensely popular The Ellen DeGeneres Show for 19 seasons, running from 2003 to 2022. In 2020, the show faced allegations of workplace intimidation, racism, and sexual misconduct from several employees. Ellen issued an on-air apology, and three producers were fired after an investigation.
The comedy special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, premiered globally on Netflix on September 24.
