March 23, 2020
Famed TV personality Ellen DeGeneres is recognized as one of the kindest and most generous stars on television.
However, a new debate going rife on social media is suggesting otherwise, as her past employees and fans are stepping forward with startling revelations about the 62-year-old comedian actually being ‘unkind.’
Comedian Kevin T Porter was the one to spark the online trend after he termed her to be “one of the meanest people alive.”
He further urged the public to share their own unpleasant experiences with the TV star, even pledging to contribute $2 to Los Angeles food bank for every story that is shared on Twitter.
"Right now we all need a little kindness. You know, like Ellen Degeneres always talks about!”
"She’s also notoriously one of the meanest people alive Respond to this with the most insane stories you’ve heard about Ellen being mean & I’ll match every one w/ $2 to @LAFoodBank," he added.
Soon after that, a number of appalling experiences were brought to light as wait staff and some of the TV workers shared their experiences of ‘ridiculous’ rules on the sets.
It was revealed that DeGeneres would send her staff home if they “smelled” or hadn’t chewed gum before talking to her. She was even alleged of axing employees over chipped nail polish.
Responding to Kevin’s tweet, one social media user narrated: “A) She has a "sensitive nose" so everyone must chew gum from a bowl outside her office before talking to her and if she thinks you smell that day you have to go home and shower."
Another added: "I was PAing for the Letterman special and her rider was 50 items long and one was specific vegan cauliflower puffs that are rarely sold so i had to drive to 15 different grocery stores to find it and she didn’t even touch them."
A TV staffer also shared his encounter: "I was her agent's exec asst for a year, so many! 1st thing you learn on the desk is if he was on a call w another client You have to beep in & say 'your kids on the other line, it’s an emergency' so he could take the call as she could never be called back bc she would fire him lol."
"She had a PA fired from a commerical for leading her to set the "long" way," another revealed.
Looking back at an encounter with Ellen and her wife Portia, one user commented: "I worked @RealFoodDaily, served her & Porsha at brunch. She wrote a letter to the owner & complained about my chipped nail polish (not that it was on her plate but just that it was on my hand). I had worked till closing the night before & this was next morn, almost got me fired.”