OH THE IRONY: Ellen DeGeneres' ANTI-BULLYING book 'Little Ellen' tops charts despite star's toxic past
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Ellen DeGeneres' famous children's book "Little Ellen" is at the top of a publisher's list, and the former talk show host was seen on Instagram gushing about her excitement. The children's book, centered around seven-year-old Ellen in New Orleans, teaches kids to choose kindness and prevent bullying - despite the star herself being accused of toxic behavior on the set of her show.
The book illustrated by Eleanor Michalka titled "Little Ellen" made it to the Random House Kids list. The book tells the story of Ellen, now 64, as a child in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was published on May 3, 2022, just days before the end of Ellen's long-running show TV. the last episode of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' aired on May 26, 2022, following numerous allegations of workplace hostility, bullying and racism on the show's set.
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The end of Ellen's show came after a series of claims alleged that bullying, racism and sexual misconduct occurred behind the scenes. The show, which ran from 2003 to 2022, built a brand around the compassionate slogan 'Be Kind,' often touted by the show's namesake. The number of allegations that emerged even caused the abrupt cancelation of the HBO Max show upon which the book was based.
'Get to know Little Ellen and the wonderful world she sees in this book of friendship and groovy moves, perfect for kids with big imaginations and ever bigger hearts!' reads Barnes and Nobles' overview section of the title. The book focuses on seven-year-old Ellen's world through her own eyes. Ellen, who is credited as the book's author, wrote on Instagram that she was "honored to hear that 'Little Ellen,' a book about me as a little girl, was on the Random House Kids list of books about choosing kindness and bullying prevention."
On the sets of the Ellen show, in the year 2020, at least 10 former and current employees came forward saying they faced bullying and racism. The staffers of the production even claimed the charitable endeavors and sloganeering were "all for show." Although employees leveled much of the blame against the show's executive producers ut also claimed Ellen herself had not been involved enough to see what was going on in her show.