Ellen DeGeneres, the "queen of mean," is desperate to regain her reputation as a "nice" person and even resorts to playing the compassion card to curry favor with her previous admirers.
66-year-old toxic talk show presenter with OCD (obesity-compulsive disorder) and ADD (attention deficit disorder) were diagnosed, she revealed on her most recent Netflix stand-up special, “For Your Approval.”
An insider told National Enquirer that despite Ellen's declaration that she doesn't care what people think of her, "Ellen desperately wants to be loved again so she can relaunch her career."
"She's got more money than she wants or needs but she misses the attention, the adulation," the source said. "And she wants it back in the worst way!"
"I've spent a lifetime trying to make people happy, and I've cared far too much what other people think of me," Ellen asserts in her bombed streaming special. "So the thought of anyone thinking I was mean was devastating to me."
"Despite what Ellen says, I think she cares very much what people think of her," psychologist Dr. Gilda Carle told National Enquirer.
"It's a human desire to want people to like us. And she went out badly. So, she may feel that she wants to restore her reputation. And when she says that she has OCD, ADD and osteoporosis, I think she's saying, 'I want you to like me, but please understand I'm a victim too!’" the expert went on.
The majority of "canceled" celebs are eager to return to the spotlight, but Ellen seems to have taken a look around and decided, "You know what? For me, this works”. She has previously declared that the forthcoming Netflix special, which is a rerun of "Ellen's Last Stand-Up Tour," will be her last.
However, her retirement extends beyond stand-up comedy. According to SFGATE, Ellen reportedly said, "Um, no," when asked during a recent show if she would attempt Broadway or movies next.
A complete Hollywood retirement is a significant change for the woman who alternated between presenting award shows, a game show, and her talk program. Ellen spends a large portion of her current performance talking about how she feels like she was "kicked out of show business," which isn't entirely true considering that she ended her talk show on her terms and then convinced Netflix to release her stand-up special.
Although comparable toxic workplace charges have been disclosed for every talk show, Ellen confessed during one episode that the controversies surrounding her show and her celebrity profile had a "toll on my ego and my self-esteem," as per BuzzFeed News.
Maybe Ellen's decision to step down is based on the data. According to a source, only eight of Ellen's 27 scheduled events for her stand-up tour were sold out, and she recently abruptly canceled four dates on her tour. The ratings of “Ellen Show” were dropping during its final seasons.
That's certainly more a reflection of the industry's current status than anything else, but it would be easy to take it personally if you were facing a PR problem.
Although it's difficult to feel sorry for an absurdly wealthy celebrity, Ellen hasn't had an easy few years. Her former partner Anne Heche and her talk show sidekick Stephen "tWitch" Boss passed away in 2022.
In her stand-up shows, she’s discussed the difficulty of caring for her mother, who has dementia. Any of these factors could reasonably contribute to someone’s decision to retire, Times of India reported.
She has talked about the challenges of caring for her dementia-stricken mother in her stand-up performances. Any of these variables could plausibly influence a person's decision to retire.
However, "retirement" rarely lasts in the entertainment sector. It's challenging to envision Ellen ever actually going away. Even yet, she has shied away from voice acting, which pays well, mainly when you collaborate with Pixar.
SFGate claims that Ellen said, "No, I'm going bye-bye, remember," in response to a fan who "begged" her to play Dory again in the “Finding Nemo” movies. Maybe it's just curtains, after all.
Business Times has reached out to Ellen DeGeneres for comments.
