Ellen DeGeneres 'devastated' by 'mean' label: 'I've cared far too much what other people think of me'

Ellen DeGeneres has directly addressed the allegations that the workplace of her eponymous talk show was toxic in her latest stand-up special.

In her Netflix special Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, she told the audience, "I'm happy not being a boss or a brand or a billboard, just a person.

"Just a multifaceted person with different feelings and emotions, and I can be happy and sad and compassionate or frustrated. I have OCD and ADD. I'm honest. I'm generous. I'm sensitive and thoughtful.

Watch the video above.

READ MORE: Harry waves photo of Archie, Lili as he warns of 'pervasive threat'

"But I'm tough, and I'm impatient, and I'm demanding. I'm direct. I'm a strong woman."

The 66-year-old's talk show ran for almost 20 years, from 2003 to 2022 with 19 seasons.

Throughout her years hosting the show and interviewing her fellow celebrities, DeGeneres said she was "proud of who I've become," to which the audience gave roaring applause.

"When you're a public figure, you're open to everyone's interpretation. And I'm sure you've heard the saying that, 'What other people think of me is none of my business.' Because people will say all kinds of things and you have no control over that. But you know the truth and that's all that matters,"

But she shares that on the contrary being in comedy made her "care what people think" because "it's our only real currency for success.

"If they like you, you're in, and if they don't, you're out. And I've spent an entire lifetime trying to make people happy and I've cared far too much what other people think of me. So, the thought of anyone thinking that I'm mean was devastating to me, and it consumed me for a long time," she said.

READ MORE: Should you upgrade to the iPhone 16?

She added that with age she had gained "perspective", and "After a lifetime of caring, I just can't anymore. So I don't.

"But if I'm being honest... and I have a choice of people remembering me as someone who was mean or someone who was beloved. Be-lov-ed? Beloved? Beloved. Someone who is beloved? ... I choose that."

Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.