Ellen DeGeneres Bids Hollywood Goodbye: "Old, Gay, and Mean—the Triple Crown"
Ellen DeGeneres is ready to swim away from Hollywood, and she’s not looking back.
During her standup set in Santa Rosa, California, on July 1, the former daytime talk show host got real about her post-TV life. When a fan asked if she’d consider Broadway or the big screen, Ellen didn’t mince words.
“Um, no,” she replied, according to SFGATE. “This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”
But before she exits stage left, Ellen’s enjoying her final moments on stage. “Thank you for still caring!” she said. “Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me. I got chickens.”
She quipped, “Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.” Predicting her next move, she joked, “Old, gay, and mean—the triple crown.”
At 66, Ellen reflected on her fame, noting, “I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me.’ Now, I realize I said that during the height of my popularity.” She added, “I am many things, but I am not mean.”
Ellen has kept a low profile recently, but she’s spoken about her “cancellation” and the difference between her on-screen persona and behind-the-scenes reputation. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind,” she told Rolling Stone in April. “I became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps. Do you know how hard it is to dance up steps? Would a mean person dance up steps?”
Former Ellen Show DJ and others have defended her, sharing their positive experiences. Ashton Kutcher tweeted about the respect and kindness he and his team received, despite a snarky reply about billionaire treatment.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, a comedian friend lamented the negativity of the internet, praising Ellen as one of the “dopest people on the planet” and expressing hope for a return to kindness.
So, while Ellen might be done with Hollywood, she’s leaving with a laugh and a defiant dance up the steps.