Leah Remini accuses Ellen of 'acting really interested' to her story in bizarre moment: "That was..."
Leah Remini has had an eventful life since becoming famous as Carrie Heffernan on 'The King of Queens'. Her career has been successful, though not without challenges. One of her biggest struggles was her difficult experience with Scientology, which she has openly discussed. Since leaving the church, she has worked to stay positive and has remained a prominent public figure through it all. In October 2021, she appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', but things quickly got awkward. Ellen has had tense moments with guests before, and Remini’s visit was no different. However, this time, it was Remini who made Ellen, and the audience uncomfortable.
This wasn’t her first time on DeGeneres. She has made several appearances over the years, including in November 2018 to promote her movie 'Second Act' with Jennifer Lopez. During that visit, DeGeneres pranked her by having someone jump out from under the table in a creepy costume to scare her, as per The Things. That moment stuck with Remini, and when she returned in 2021, she was visibly nervous, constantly looking over her shoulder in case DeGeneres planned another scare. Once she settled into the conversation, she shared how much she enjoys pranking people herself. She talked about how she and her husband, Angelo Pagán, like to play tricks on their teenage daughter. But then, the interview took an unexpected and awkward turn.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Remini accused DeGeneres of not paying attention. "You're acting really interested," she said. "I don't know whether you're doing that thing where you're like into my story." To be fair, DeGeneres did look a little distracted at that moment. But she quickly defended herself, saying, "What do you mean I'm acting interested? I'm always interested…" Before she could finish, Remini playfully slapped DeGeneres' wrist multiple times. However, DeGeneres appeared to actually feel some pain. The situation became even more uncomfortable, and the audience gave only a few uneasy laughs. To lighten the mood, Remini quickly changed the subject, telling DeGeneres, "I love you, I miss you. And I'm so happy to be here in your last season," as reported by Fox News.
She was referring to the fact that she was one of the last guests on Ellen’s show before it ended. However, her attempt to smooth things over didn’t impress everyone. Fans online were critical of the moment. One viewer commented on the YouTube video, "What's wrong with that woman? She's acting strange." Another agreed, saying, "That was awkward. I mean, I haven't been an Ellen fan for a while, but dang Leah! That was a bit much!" At the same time, some fans noticed Ellen seemed distant during the interview. Some speculated that after nearly 20 years of hosting, she was simply tired of the show. One person commented, "Ellen seems out of it. I watched the show with Khloe, and Ellen seems done." Another said, "Ellen looked a million miles away, even after she got slapped. While the slap brought her out of her daydream, she started thinking, 'Do I really have to change my facial expression? This is getting too hard!'"
Despite the awkward start, the interview eventually became more relaxed. DeGeneres and Remini reminisced about the first time Remini was on the show when she was pregnant with her daughter, Sofia. The host even shared old pictures of herself babysitting Sofia as a toddler. Seeing those photos brought back memories for Remini, and she got a little emotional. It was a sweet way to end an interview that had started off on such an uncomfortable note.