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Ellen once told Priyanka Chopra it was a ‘miracle’ she made it so far in Hollywood: "You are such a..."

While talking about Priyanka Chopra's success, Ellen DeGeneres said, "It's a miracle you made it this far."

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the 42-year-old global icon known for her roles in 'Quantico,' 'Citadel,' and 'Baywatch,' made a memorable appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' on October 25, 2016. The Indian actress and former Miss World stepped onto the American talk show stage to promote her hit series 'Quantico,' which marked her successful transition into Hollywood. The episode quickly went viral, but not for the reasons one might expect.

During the interview, when Priyanka Chopra was showing Ellen how she learned to wave her hand at the Miss World Pageant, Ellen quipped, “It's a miracle you made it this far." She further states, "So you got here, and literally you had so many options; everybody wanted to work with you, like everybody, so this network just hands you ..like a magazine..like lays things out like 'What do you want to do?' and you pick Quantico." Visibly taken aback, Priyanka awkwardly responded, “That’s... I mean... yes... kind of what happened.” Ellen said, “People were so excited ‘cause you are such a huge star, and you are beautiful, and you can act.” To which Priyanka humbly replied, “That doesn’t happen often.” However, Ellen doubled down, stating, “No! It does. As a matter of fact, it happens all the time. But I am just complimenting you because I should.”

Although Priyanka laughed it off and giggled throughout the interview, her fans were displeased with Ellen, accusing her of being rude and disrespectful to their beloved star. Fans were quick to jump to Priyanka's defense. One YouTube user commented, “Did she just tell Priyanka that it's a miracle she made this far?” Another added, “Oop, that 'I’m just complimenting you because I should' hit weird.” A more heated reaction came from a fan who wrote, “How on earth, Ellen, could you talk to Priyanka like that? Well, then it’s also a miracle how far you made it, Ellen.” Others dismissed Ellen’s behavior as jealousy, with one remarking, “Ellen is just jealous, that's all. PC is way ahead in her game. I don't know much about American hosts and anchors, but when people get successful like Ellen, they cross their boundaries.” Feeling divided, fans also took to social media handles like X and mentioned, "Not sure if you didn't understand the insults or I lost my sense of humor." 

This incident wasn’t the first time Ellen faced criticism for her treatment of guests. In 2019, Dakota Johnson’s awkward exchange with Ellen went viral after the host falsely claimed she hadn’t been invited to Johnson’s birthday party. Dakota’s calm yet pointed response, “Actually, no. That’s not true, Ellen,” exposed the host’s misleading narrative. Similarly, The Standard also reported that Ellen's interview with Mariah Carey, where she pressured the singer to confirm her pregnancy by handing her champagne, was widely condemned as invasive and inappropriate. “I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say. And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage. I don’t want to throw anyone that’s already being thrown under any proverbial bus, but I didn’t enjoy that moment.” Mariah said.

Ellen’s reputation took a further hit when, in 2020, former employees accused her of fostering a toxic workplace environment. Following the backlash, Ellen issued a public apology, stating, “I’m hearing that some people felt that I wasn’t kind or too short with them, or too impatient. I apologize to anybody if I’ve hurt your feelings in any way." However, many felt that Ellen's apology lacked sincerity, leading to a decline in viewership and the eventual end of her show in 2022.