Ellen DeGeneres returns for a new season with a monologue where she addressed toxic workplace allegations and apologized for ‘hurting’ some people.
“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show and then there was an investigation,” she said.
“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and I realize that with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”
Ellen continued: “There were also articles in the press and on social media that said I am not who I appear to be on TV because I became known as the be kind lady and here’s how that happened.
“I started saying be kind to one another after a young man named Tyler Clementi took his own life after being bullied for being gay. I thought the world needed more kindness and it was a reminder that we all needed that.
“I think we need it more than ever right now. Being known as the be kind lady is a tricky position to be in.
“Let me give you some advice out there, if anybody is thinking of changing their title or giving yourself a nickname, do not go with the ‘be kind lady’. Don’t do it.”
She went on: “The truth is I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things. Sometimes I get sad. I get mad. I get anxious. I get frustrated. I get impatient. And I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress.
“And I am especially working on the impatience thing. And it’s not going well because it’s not happening fast enough I will tell you that.”
She added: “This has been a horrible summer for people all around the world. People are losing their jobs. People are losing loved ones to a pandemic. People are losing their homes and lives in the raging fires that are going on. There’s blatant racial injustice all around us. I watch the news and I feel like, where do we even begin?
“So my hope is that we can still be a place of happiness and joy.”
People reacted to her speech with mixed emotions. Some called it sincere and gave her credit for it while others said she did not mean it and only showed how privileged she is.
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