“The tales are all true!” stated a former “Ellen DeGeneres Present” staffer of latest studies that the richest comic on the earth can also be, allegedly, one of many rudest.
“Is she at all times good? No,” stated the previous staffer. “It irritates me that individuals assume she’s all sweetness and light-weight and she or he will get away with it.”
Recently, DeGeneres, 62, who famously tells viewers to “be sort” on the finish of her present, hasn’t been getting away with it.
Over the previous few weeks, DeGeneres has been criticized for evaluating the coronavirus lockdown to “being in jail” at the same time as she posts Instagram movies of herself in her $27 million Balinese-style mansion close to Santa Barbara, Calif. She was additionally accused, in a report leaked to Selection, of reducing her discuss present’s union present crew in favor of freelancers. (A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Tv, which distributes Ellen’s present, instructed Selection that the change was cleared with union reps and no crew member misplaced a job.)
Then there’s the Twitter thread branding her “one of many meanest individuals alive” for allegedly complaining a few waitress’ nail polish and ordering that underlings not make eye contact along with her.
And final week, a former safety guard who served as bodyguard to DeGeneres and her household when the comic was internet hosting the 2014 Academy Awards instructed Fox Information that she was very unfriendly.
“Ellen just about simply gave me a aspect look out of her eye and didn’t even say ‘hiya,’ or ‘thanks for shielding my mom, my spouse and me,’” Tom Majercak stated. “It was very chilly and it was very sly and it was really sort of demeaning in the best way that she treats individuals apart from those that are in her circle.”
“She’s so busy and wealthy. Why would she f–okay with me?”
– Waitress Chris Farah
Podcaster Kevin T. Porter, who began the Twitter thread, instructed The Publish that the star’s not-really-that-nice perspective was an “open secret” in Hollywood and that he had heard quite a few tales from mates of his who labored along with her.
“There’s at all times been this whisper community about her infamous habits,” he stated.
Greater than 2,250 individuals posted within the thread. (Porter admits there isn’t any means of vetting the tales.)
Chris Farah, 35, an actress and stand-up comedian, was one of many posters. She stated she was a waitress at a vegan restaurant in LA in March 2014 when DeGeneres and her spouse, Portia de Rossi got here in for brunch. Farah stated DeGeneres was not notably pleasant however didn’t complain about something to her.
Every week later, Farah’s supervisor pulled her apart.
“He requested me if I’d served Ellen,” Farah instructed the Publish. “I used to be actually excited for a minute. I believed possibly she needed to make use of me in her present. Then he instructed me that Ellen had written to the proprietor complaining that I had chipped nail polish. I couldn’t consider it. She’s so busy and wealthy. Why would she f–okay with me?”
“One thing occurs when individuals grow to be stars and get into that financial stratosphere,” says Shelley Ross, who was the chief producer at “Good Morning America” in 1997 when Diane Sawyer did a seminal interview with DeGeneres, after the comic risked every thing to come back out as homosexual — and noticed her sitcom “Ellen” be canceled a 12 months later because of this.
DeGeneres instructed Sawyer she had at all times felt like an outsider and underdog. At the moment, nonetheless, she’s the last word insider: value $330 million and friends with energy gamers from the Obamas to Invoice Gates to the Kardashians.
A former affiliate producer recalled being in Ellen’s workplace a number of years in the past when the star misplaced her glasses and couldn’t learn a textual content on her iPhone.
“She stopped every thing and made a name,” the producer stated. “Subsequent factor we all know, we actually hear [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs choose up and say ‘Hello, Ellen’ … Ellen instructed him the iPhone ought to have a much bigger font. That’s her. It’s not that she’s some demon. She simply lives in an extremely privileged bubble and is out of contact with the true world.”
Ross, who stated she appreciated Ellen when she met her, in contrast DeGeneres’ mega-stardom to that of Oprah Winfrey.
“It hasn’t been handed to them,” she stated. “They’ve had every thing potential thrown at them. Simply consider everybody who laughed at them and stated you’re too fats, you’re too black, you’re too homosexual — however they went forward anyway. There must be some underlying harm in there that by no means will get smoothed out.”
“Ellen” govt producer Mary Connelly, who has been with the present since its inception, stated she has by no means seen DeGeneres exhibit diva habits.
“None of what’s being stated speaks to the Ellen I do know,” Connelly stated.
“Do the producers and her generally should make unpopular selections? Sure. Ellen will not be afraid to let you know when she doesn’t like one thing. She’s had powerful conversations with me. That’s a operate of on a regular basis life. However the individual I do know is somebody who is available in every single day and desires to placed on a enjoyable present in a enjoyable setting and assist individuals.”
Multiple one who has labored with DeGeneres stated that lecturing everybody to “be sort” has backfired on her — as a result of no person is that candy on a regular basis.
“One of many issues I appreciated about her was that behind the scenes she had a darker humorousness,” stated Steven Mazan, a former employees author for the present.
“I by no means noticed her as vindictive. I feel individuals wish to consider the Ellen you see on TV is the entire Ellen or the true Ellen. However no person is that uncomplicated.”