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The controversy continues.
By Olivia Jakiel — Written on Aug 10, 2020
The Ellen DeGeneres scandal has been the talk of the town the last few weeks, and as more information about the toxic workplace environment she’s created keeps coming out, some celebs have stepped up to defend the 62-year-old talk show host.
Celebrities who support Ellen DeGeneres:
1. Ashton Kutcher
Former That ‘70s Show star Ashton Kutcher came to Ellen’s defense shortly after accusations about her toxic workplace environment came to a head.
2. Scooter Braun
Scooter Braun, who manages huge stars like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Demi Lovato, also came to Ellen’s defense, tweeting that she’s a “kind, thoughtful, courageous human being who stands for what is right.”
It’s interesting that Braun chose to point out that he admires Ellen for the way she “stands for what is right,” considering his controversial drama with Taylor Swift over purchasing the rights to all of her songs.
3. Katy Perry
Pop superstar Katy Perry wasted no time coming to Ellen’s defense over the accusations, writing that she had “only ever had positive takeaways” from her experience with Ellen and as a guest on her show.
4. Kevin Hart
Actor and comedian Kevin Hart took to Instagram to post a long-winded caption about his amazing experiences with his “friend” and how she’s treated him and his family with nothing but love and respect over the years.
“She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1,” Kevin wrote. “The internet has become a crazy world of negativity....we are falling in love with peoples down fall [sic].”
“This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences....” he continued. “It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend.”
5. Diane Keaton
Actress Diane Keaton also took to Instagram to show her support for her longtime friend, enthusiastically writing in all caps, “I ALWAYS ENJOYED MY VISITS TO THE ELLEN SHOW. I’VE SEEN HOW THE AUDIENCE EXUDES HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE. SHE GIVES BACK TO SO MANY INCLUDING ME.”
It’s important to point out that while these celebs may have had positive interactions and experiences with Ellen DeGeneres while on the set of her show, none of these celebrities have actually worked for Ellen.
Fans pointed out that while a lot of these celebs’ experiences were probably positive, it’s because they’re celebrities; they’re not employees. Fans also noted that the support for Ellen amid all of the accusations minimize the valid complaints and concerns of those who worked for her.
Celebrities who don’t support Ellen DeGeneres:
1. Brad Garrett
The former Everybody Loves Raymond actor tweeted his support for Ellen’s employees writing, “Sorry but it comes from the top @TheEllenShow Know more than one who were treated horribly by her.”
2. Neil Breen
Australian radio show host Neil Breen gave his two cents about his experience with Ellen while she was a guest on Australia’s Today Show — where he was a producer — in 2013.
According to Breen, Ellen’s team told him, "Neil, no one's to talk to Ellen. So you don't talk to her, you don't approach her, you don't look at her. She'll come in, she'll sit down, she'll talk to Richard, then Ellen will leave."
He said the experience was “bizarre,” but he couldn’t really say whether Ellen’s character is rightfully being defended because he never even got a chance to talk to her.
“I'm not blaming Ellen because I didn't get to talk to her, because I wasn't allowed to. So I don't know whether she's a nice person or not,” he said. “I wouldn't have a clue. But I can tell you the people who worked with her walked on eggshells the whole time."
3. Dakota Johnson
While Dakota Johnson hasn’t commented on the new Ellen drama, her awkward appearance on The Ellen Show in November of 2019 caused quite a stir.
Essentially, Ellen accused Dakota of not inviting her to her 30th birthday party in October, which was simply not true.
“Actually, no, that’s not the truth, Ellen,” the 50 Shades of Grey alum said. “Ask everybody. Ask Jonathan, your producer.”
During a commercial break, an Ellen employee confirmed that Dakota had invited her to the party, thus catching Ellen in a lie.
4. Mark Ruffalo
Back in 2019, Mark Ruffalo was one of the few celebrities who called Ellen out after the talk show host called former president George W. Bush — a president who has been criticized for bringing the United States into war in the 2000s and for committing war crimes — her “friend.”
5. Kathy Griffin
Comedian Kathy Griffin has also been vocal about her dislike of Ellen and the two have been feuding for years now.
Griffin and DeGeneres' feud began when Ellen said some rude things about Kathy’s friend, the late comedian Joan Rivers, who passed away in 2014.
“One of the things that really hurt Joan, and we talked about it at our last meal together, was that Ellen always shunned her and Ellen thought she was vulgar and not funny,” she told the publication in 2018.
“I just called her and I just said, ‘Look, woman to woman, comic to comic, I think you need to let go of your hatred for Joan Rivers.” She then suggested that Ellen do some sort of tribute to Joan in the wake of her death, which didn’t go over well.
Ellen reportedly told Kathy that “there’s a difference between mean and funny,” and kept it at that.
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Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.