I was one of those people that cried every single time Ellen DeGeneres gave money away.
No matter her guest and their circumstance, the lump in my throat would rise and the tears would stream down my face, and honestly? I could have watched Ellen videos on repeat all day.
As an inquest into her alleged toxic workplace has sparked a downfall for her and her team, some celebrities have come out saying “it starts from the top”, while others have defended her.
More recently, DeGeneres’ wife, Australian actor Portia DeRossi has come to her defence. In an Instagram post accompanying a simple photo of “I Stand By Ellen”, her caption simply said: “To all our fans … we see you. Thank you for your support.”
In response to his sister’s “vicious attack”, Vance DeGeneres said: “It is all bullshit,” before asking his friends and family to unfollow him if they “don’t support Ellen”.
“If you don’t support Ellen, then you don’t support me, so please unfriend me.”
The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s former DJ, Tony Okungbowa, has now spoken out. He too “did experience and feel the toxicity of the environment and I stand with my former colleagues in their quest to create a healthier and more inclusive workplace as the show moves forward.”
While we obviously have no real idea of the truth behind the accusations towards her personally, her fans have started to lose faith.
I’m a fan, and I have.
The stories, the seemingly deafening silence of the social media hashtag #IStandWithEllen and the numerous accounts claimed by Twitter users and her own former staff, have made me question my allegiance. The signs are hard to ignore and it certainly has tainted my view.
Surely I’m not alone with this sentiment. Surely, I am not the only one who is questioning a beloved media figure who once spouted “be kind to one another” and could be doing anything but.
And even though her light shines a little less bright in my eyes, let me be clear, no one deserves a trial by the public or a barrage of hate. No one deserves such a heightened fall from grace and to be a victim of “cancel culture”.
Yes, the rumours, the speculation and those who have come forward paint a very damaging picture but they also cannot discredit DeGeneres from the good she has done.
Her fight for equality, the millions of dollars she has given away and the many young stars who were given a worldwide platform on her show — DeGeneres was/is a beloved figure for those reasons.
The Advocate make an interesting point. Apparently “Ellen isn’t as nice as she pretends to be on television. Well, no shit,” author Amanda Kerri says.
“It’s literally her job to be nice on camera.” And it is. It is her job.
However, Ellen’s life motto, one that she spouts at the end of every single episode asks us to be kind, especially to one another — so wouldn’t it leave a better taste if she was, well, nice?
For now, I am weary, because it’s hard not to be.
In my eyes, as a long-time fan, the damage has been done and she is tainted for good.