Ellen DeGeneres mocking a fan’s heartfelt gift on live TV is still painful to watch: "It's really scary..."
Ellen DeGeneres has often engaged in weird interactions with her fans on her talk show! On an episode of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', the host invited fans to share the worst gifts they had received from friends or family. During the segment, DeGeneres reviewed several, including a set of odd-smelling perfumes from a fan who said her aunt gives her perfume every year—scents she had no interest in wearing. Another standout gift was a framed acrostic of the word "Facebook," which DeGeneres joked about, subtly calling out TJ Maxx, where it was purchased.
DeGeneres also poked fun at a portrait a fan named 'JB' painted of her and her wife Portia De Rossi. "It's called 'Ellen and Portia No. 10.' He took 10 tries but he finally got it. He got it on No. 10," DeGeneres jokingly remarked, as per Business Insider. DeGeneres joked that the painting looked more like "a good portrait of Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa" and even considered gifting it to them. Glancing at the artwork, she quipped, "It's really scary too. No matter where you're standing in the room, our chins follow you."
DeGeneres has constantly been in the news for embarrassing her guests and even audience members. In a 2017 episode of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', the host shamed a studio audience member named Nancy for taking more merchandise from a gift table than allowed. DeGeneres played a clip showing Nancy grabbing extra items, who explained why she took extra items.
Nancy said she took the extra items for her sister, who couldn’t attend the show. Unimpressed, Ellen responded, “A lot of people’s sisters couldn’t come.” She then took another jab, quipping, “You are one of those people who go trick-or-treating and take the whole bowl!” as per The Mirror. DeGeneres went on to say, “I’m sorry. That’s embarrassing and everything, but let that be a lesson to you. You think nobody is watching you, and you just need to be a good person just because you want to be a good person.” She then ordered Nancy to sit in the 'Ellen Jail.'.
In January 2020, DeGeneres was also accused of fostering a toxic workplace environment. Following the serious claims, DeGeneres apologized to everyone during the premiere of Season 18. In her opening monologue, DeGeneres said, "All right, let’s get to it. As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should have happened.”
“I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power, and I realized that with that comes responsibility. And I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres. My name is there, my name is there, my name is on underwear. We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace, and what we want for the future. We have made the necessary changes and today we are starting a new chapter," DeGeneres added, according to Vanity Fair. Eventually, `The Ellen DeGeneres Show' ended in May 2022 after being on air for nearly 20 seasons.