It’s been a tough year, and Ellen DeGeneres is certainly no exception when it comes to people who’ve struggled in 2020.
The comedian and award-winning talk show host has built a positive reputation based on her humor and messages promoting kindness. This all has come into question, however, with claims arising that perhaps her on-air image was all a façade.
Celebrities who’ve had first-hand experience with Ellen have spoken out about the allegations— some in support, and others in agreement with claims that the set of her show is a toxic environment.
Check out what some of her most notorious guests have had to say about the star:
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Mariah Carey
Long before the claims came to light, Mariah spoke of an “uncomfortable” moment on the set in 2008, when Ellen tried to coerce her into announcing her pregnancy before she was ready. Sadly, she later miscarried.
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Katy Perry
Katy Perry was quick to denounce the rumors surrounding Ellen, taking to Twitter to state her experiences with the star had only been positive.
“I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades,” she wrote. “Sending you love & a hug, friend.”
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Brad Garrett
The “Everybody Loves Raymond” star appeared on her show multiple times, but did not come to her defense when rumors began to swirl. Instead, he insisted that her “horrible behavior” was “common knowledge”. Ouch!
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Lea Thompson
Quick to back up Brad Garrett’s claims, actress Lea Thompson replied on Twitter with a short (but impactful) affirmation.
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Steve Harvey
A long-time friend of the talk show host, Steve Harvey regarded Ellen as one of the “coolest” people in the entertainment industry. He also claimed he would walk away from the show if he were her, adding she has enough money, and doesn’t need to deal with the negativity.
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Justin Bieber
Mariah Carey wasn’t the only guest who was put on the spot by Ellen during an appearance. In a cringe-worthy episode, Ellen barraged Justin Bieber with questions regarding nude photos of him that had been leaked. She even asked who the girl was in the background of the pictures, resulting in obvious embarrassment from the young star.
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Sofia Vergara
Like Ellen, Sofia Vergara is known for her lively personality, and her love of laughter. The two have performed many skits together, but some viewers claimed Ellen was merely making a mockery of the actress. Sofia shot down the claims, insisting the laughter was not at her expense.
Two comedians having fun with each other to entertain. I was never a victim guys, I was always in on the joke.
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Scooter Braun
Though he may not be a household name, this music mogul manages some of the biggest stars in entertainment. No stranger to controversy himself (just look up the Taylor Swift scandal), he quickly jumped to Ellen’s defense when her reputation came under fire. In a Twitter post, Braun referred to her as a, “kind, thoughtful, courageous human being”.
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Octavia Spencer
The award-winning actress was one of many to throw her support behind the host. Taking to Instagram, Octavia Spencer said her experiences with everyone from the show were “supportive and fun”.
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Jay Leno
The two could be considered kindred spirits — both comedians and legendary talk show hosts. Given their history, it was no surprise Jay Leno was another celebrity to support Ellen during her fall.
He wrote on Twitter: “I don’t discard a 40-year friendship on hearsay. The Ellen I know has raised over $125 million dollars for charity and has always been a kind and decent person. I fully support her.”
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Portia de Rossi
Like any supportive spouse would, Portia de Rossi had her wife’s back when the scandal broke. On her Instagram page, she posted a simple (yet powerful) image showing she stood in solidarity with Ellen.
portiaderossi Verified To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks . #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres #IStandByEllen #IstandByEllenDeGeneres . . #ellendegeneres #ellen #theellenshow #ellenshow #bekindtooneanother
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Ashton Kutcher
Offering a different perspective, Ashton stated that not only did Ellen treat him kindly, but so did her staff to his team. He claimed this meant they were genuine people who did not just “pander” to celebrities.
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Dakota Johnson
During her time on the show, the “Fifty Shades of Grey” actress highlighted a disconnect between Ellen and her staff. When the host insisted Johnson didn’t invite her to her birthday party, Dakota advised her to ask her producer about her “lost” invitation. The rest of the interview is awkward history.
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Calum Scott
Not everyone’s experience on the show has been positive. During his daytime TV debut performance, singer Calum Scott was allegedly instructed not to make eye contact with Ellen on set.
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Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is known as a gifted songwriter, and unfortunately, a serial dater. Though she usually laughs off Ellen’s jabs, the singer was clearly uncomfortable during a 2013 interview, during which time her dating record was put on blast.
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Caitlyn Jenner
Both icons in the LGBT community, the two celebrities didn’t see eye-to-eye during Jenner’s 2015 appearance on the show.
Caitlyn stated that initially she was not in favor of same-sex marriage, but added that her views had since changed. Ellen shot back that Caitlyn was not being supportive of the LGBT community, leading to a now-infamous (and tense) discussion about marriage equality. Let’s just assume these two will not be invited to each other’s future parties.
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Ryan Phillippe
In a since-deleted post, Ryan Phillippe added an image of himself in front of a poster of Ellen. The caption? “And remember to be kind… wait.” Talk about a sly swipe.
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Samantha Ronson
The British DJ, who worked for the show on more than one occasion, claimed Ellen was nothing but kind and respectful toward her during their interactions.
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Andy Richter
Actor Andy Richter was one of many to point out the hypocrisy behind Ellen’s “be kind” message. While Andy said she wasn’t alone in fostering a toxic environment, he acknowledged the irony behind her message of “kindness”.
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Nikkie de Jager
The popular YouTuber was invited onto the show in January of 2020 to discuss coming out in one of her videos. She later explained her experience was unpleasant, as the host did not say hello to her prior to the interview. Instead, she said, she was greeted by an “overworked” intern.
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Celine Dion
In one of the most awkward interviews in the show’s history, Ellen struck a nerve with the legendary singer, mocking her son’s long hair. Perhaps it’s no surprise, given their history, that Caline didn’t jump to her defense amidst claims of her alleged cruelty.
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Liza Minnelli
Another celebrity who’s taken offense to Ellen’s humor is Liza Minnelli, who was insulted in 2014 when she jokingly referred to her as “sir”. Added one more check to the minus column for Ellen.
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Howard Stern
One of the most popular hosts of their time, Ellen’s friend offered his own expert advice on the situation, advising her to “change her whole image” while discussing the scandal on SiriusXM’s “Howard Stern Show”.
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Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras
The Argentinian polo player insisted he’d seen Ellen treat people from all walks of life with the utmost respect. Via his Instagram page, he called on her famous friends to share positive experiences of their own.
I have been patiently waiting for someone with more authority than me to speak up about what a great human being @theellenshow is. I have been very lucky to be on that show many times and I can tell you that it is a very well run machine, everyone was super nice, not just to me but to each other and anyone involved.s
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Jerry O’Connell
On August 4, the “Stand By Me” actor shared a post on Instagram that read, “I Stand With Ellen”.
“I’m not gonna let Instagram comments and Twitter comments tell me who can and can’t be my friends,” he said. “I just wanted Ellen and Portia to know that I love them very much.”