Ellen DeGeneres Claims to Have Been “Kicked Out of Show Biz” in Her New Netflix Comedy Special

Ellen DeGeneres would like us to remember something: she still exists. And now that that’s been confirmed again, she’s going to go ahead and leave, supposedly.

The comedian’s talk show ended in 2022 after multiple allegations of bullying, and earlier this year she claimed she’ll be leaving show business after her next (and supposedly final) stand-up special, For Your Approval. If she really does stay retired, it’ll be a weird end to a notable career. Ellen became a top comic in the ’80s known for her intentionally awkward delivery and a deeply affable and endearing personality. During an era of aggro dudes and rampant raunch and sex talk, Ellen’s comedy was basically clean as a whistle, and that rep helped guide her into a primetime sitcom berth during the post-Seinfeld heyday of ’90s stand-up sitcoms. Despite its inauspicious, generic start, Ellen’s sitcom became truly groundbreaking after it was retooled as Ellen and began to reflect her real-life sexuality; it was one of the first American TV shows with a gay lead, and although it was never a smash hit it did help normalize homosexuality on broadcast TV. A few years after that show ended in 1998 she launched her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in 2003, and for most of its run her “aw shucks” demeanor and exhortations to “be kind” made her seem like a pretty nice and normal person, all considering.

Of course people in the business had long talked about how cruel and demanding DeGeneres could be to her staff. Even before 10 former staffers accused her of bullying in 2020, it was an open secret in Hollywood. It irrevocably changed Ellen’s image, and hastened the end of her talk show after 19 seasons. She’s laid low since then, but is now back with what will apparently be both her final stand-up special and her farewell to performing altogether. Because if anything in modern culture is sacrosanct and inviolable, it’s the show business retirement.