It takes a special kind of narcissism to read about a major TV personality allegedly turning a blind eye toward a toxic work environment only to say, “Well she’s only ever been nice to me!” And yet, as several A-listers rush to defend Ellen DeGeneres, that’s precisely what they’ve done—throw lit matches on a gasoline-soaked reputation.
In the wake of DeGeneres’ apology to staff and promise to make changes behind the scenes, a coven of sanctimonious A-listers has rushed to her defense. But their statements of support, which focus on their own experiences with the talk-show host, have been tone-deaf at best—especially given the fact that the only celebrity we need to hear from is Dakota Johnson.
On Twitter Katy Perry wrote, “I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow. I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought... to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow.”
Kevin Hart, who once gabbed with (and was given a pass by) Ellen about how unfair it was that he got dropped from the Oscars for refusing to apologize for his dozens of homophobic tweets, also spoke out on her behalf.
“It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly,” Hart wrote. “I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the fucking planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1.”
“The internet has become a crazy world of negativity… we are falling in love with peoples down fall,” Hart continued. “It’s honestly sad… When did we get here? I stand by the ones that I know and that I love. Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another… this hate shit has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon… This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences… It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen…”
Diane Keaton, who has previously risen to the defense of Woody Allen, stated her support for DeGeneres as well. “I ALWAYS ENJOYED MY VISITS TO THE ELLEN SHOW,” Keaton wrote on Instagram. “I’VE SEEN HOW THE AUDIENCE EXUDES HAPPINESS AND GRATITUDE. SHE GIVES BACK TO SO MANY INCLUDING ME.”
But A-listers’ experience with DeGeneres—whose job and status in the industry directly depend on her relationships with them—has no bearing on how she might treat her staff, or allow them to be treated. To pretend otherwise is dense at best, and does little to dispel DeGeneres’ image as someone whose “niceness” is little more than a false, manipulative persona.
Some of the posts in support of DeGeneres have been simply confusing. Her wife Portia de Rossi, for instance, seemed to ignore the actual criticism against her and included a call to “#stopbotattacks” in her Instagram post. It’s unclear which bots she’s referring to.
Other posts have simply come from public figures with whom one might be remiss to align—like, you know, Ted Cruz.
Cruz recently tweeted out a Washington Post article about DeGeneres’ public image, writing, “I don’t know Ellen, but this WaPo chronology makes the whole ‘scandal’ look like an exercise in Cancel Culture trying to destroy her bc she wasn’t woke enough to throw Kevin Hart overboard or be hateful to George W Bush. Today’s Left is deeply intolerant.” Yawn.
Another of DeGeneres’ well known defenders? Scooter Braun, known primarily to many as the guy Taylor Swift feuded with for years over bullying and music rights—and whose client, Justin Bieber, used an Ellen pit-stop as an essential part of his comeback trail in 2015.
“People love to take shots at people,” Braun tweeted Friday. “They love to see people fall. How quickly so many forget. @TheEllenShow is a kind, thoughtful, courageous human being who stands for what is right and highlights on her show the best of us. She has helped change the views for equality…
“Needed to say this as I know first hand how she helps so many when we are watching and when we are not,” Braun continued. “She isn’t about what is popular she is about what is right. Sending love to Ellen today.”
At the end of the day, nothing any A-lister or politician says can save DeGeneres from this. Their proclamations of solidarity and support are mere distractions from the actual issue and investigation at hand. That said… anyone heard from Dubya yet?
