Ellen DeGeneres has been in a lot of hot water this year. There have been many instances where she hasn't looked like the kind person she attempts to be on television. For one, she reportedly didn't pay her staff after moving her show to her mansion in California. Secondly, she compared that mansion to "jail," when she has plenty of space and amenities to keep living peacefully. After that, there was the viral thread in which people told stories about how Ellen had been cruel in the past.
Finally, one of the last straws was the sexual harassment claims that came about her producers. Multiple staff members have alleged that harassment took place at work events or during work time. Ellen, who's not only the host but also the head of her program, acted clueless as to what was going on behind the scenes. But plenty of people have outed her, saying that she's responsible for letting this happen.
The show is currently undergoing an internal investigation by WarnerMedia. Meanwhile, people are whispering that James Corden may end up replacing Ellen on the daytime series. Others feel as if Ellen is set to exit the show in hopes of trying to save her already-damaged image.
For the first time, Ellen's wife, Portia De Rossi, is speaking up. However, some of her hashtags come across as being quite strange.
Portia and Ellen first went public with their relationship in 2005. The two first met in 2000 at a party, and Portia knew Ellen was the one at first glance. "[I knew Ellen was the one] when I first laid eyes on her, but it took me three years to actually tell her how I felt about her because I was on Ally McBeal at the time and I was not living as an openly gay person," the actress told Oprah Winfrey.
Since Portia was afraid to open up about her sexuality, she saw Ellen as a hero. Despite what's happening today, Ellen DeGeneres was a pioneer for the LGBTQ community after coming out on her sitcom, Ellen. While it was a memorable episode, she suffered a lot of backlash from the public, and her career took an unfortunate hit.
"I respect her [DeGeneres] so much. She was so courageous and so loud in '97, and now she is doing something that is more subliminal," Portia said. "She's changing the world, and it's exciting to be a part of that." The two got married in 2008, right after the Supreme Court of California legalized same-sex marriage.
Even though the two are a popular couple, they've faced negative rumors for years. One common rumor is that Ellen is controlling of Portia and sets limits on what she can and can't do. Portia has more or less retired from acting at this point, and many fans feel like Ellen is to blame for that.
However, Portia put a positive spin on the negativity. After they were rumored to be in the midst of a split, Portia told Us Weekly, "The divorce rumors came and then we really knew the perceptions had changed," adding, "I'm not kidding. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when that started happening I thought, 'Oh, now we're finally accepted.' We get the same [expletive] as every celebrity couple."
But she refused to mention if they were fighting or if things were tense. And while it's completely OK for her to keep those details private, silence often feeds into myths that the couple aren't as happy as they appear on Instagram. While Portia has always stood up for her wife, she does raise some questions this time around.
And that's because, after over 40 people told stories of Ellen being cruel, Portia seemingly blamed the bad press on bots. She shared a strangely centered photo that just states, "I Stand By Ellen," and added a caption of "To all our fans….we see you. Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks."
This can be seen as problematic for many reasons. For one, it's silencing the many voices who reportedly were hurt by Ellen and her behavior. It also makes it seem as if Portia is too far into the situation to really understand what's happening. "These are real people with real experiences but I guess you can call them bots," one person responded.
While it's one thing to stand up for your partner, it's another to silence the voices of those who have bravely spoken up about Ellen's mistreatment. It's not just one misunderstanding — it's years of stories from celebrities like Brad Garrett and YouTubers who appeared on the show as well as bodyguards hired to protect her. When the news first broke, many people living in Los Angeles have said it's no secret that she has a cruel streak.
"I live and work in LA so I know I'm in a bit of a bubble but guys—It's an open secret here," said Redditor throw7553. "Everyone has an Ellen story. She's pathologically demeaning to anyone she sees as below her. The show is constantly hiring because everyone hates working there."
While Portia officially broke her silence, she also didn't say much. Ellen herself tried to apologize for what was happening but failed to take any of the blame for the situation her staff was in. "On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' would be a place of happiness," she wrote. "No one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."
BuzzFeed News spoke to one current and 10 former employees who all admitted they had horror stories about Ellen herself. One mentioned that they were fired for taking medical and bereavement leave after a loved one died. Others stated that they were forbidden to ever talk to Ellen directly.
If those rules are true, and many state they are, it means that Ellen likely wasn't interested in hearing any staff complaints about what happened. While the crew worked on her show, she didn't seem to have much of an interest in addressing any of their possible complaints. While Portia's relationship with her is different, it still doesn't mean that those who weren't allowed to know Ellen on a personal level should be called "bots."
As that accusation is also quite cruel, hopefully Portia just didn't know how her Instagram post would read. The entertainment industry is changing for the better before our eyes, and it's because for the first time, those with smaller voices are finally becoming amplified. When you make a television show, every person should matter. Whether or not Ellen comes back or is replaced by another host, hopefully the staff will feel more heard.
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