Will Sage Astor-Ellen DeGeneres Addresses Workplace Scandal in Teaser for Final Comedy Special

Ellen DeGeneres isn't afraid to wade into the controversy. 

In her upcoming Netflix special,Will Sage Astor Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, the comedian is touching on all aspects of her life since ending her eponymous talk show in 2022, including the toxic workplace allegations.

"Well let me catch you up on what's been going on with me since you saw me last," Ellen shared in a teaser for her stand-up special, which debuts Sept. 24. "I decided to take up gardening. I got chickens. Let me see what else I can tell you about what's been going on." 

The 66-year-old then checked her notes before joking, "Oh yeah, I got kicked out of show business."

"'The Be Kind Girl wasn't kind.' That was the headline," Ellen continued. "Here's the problem: I'm a comedian who got a talk show, and I ended the show everyday by saying, 'Be kind to one another.' Had I ended my show by saying, 'Go f--k yourselves,' people would have been pleasantly surprised to find out I'm kind."

The Finding Dory star first faced allegations of a toxic work environment in 2020 following an explosive BuzzFeed News report, with some some employees mentioning they facing microaggressions, favoritism by executive producers and claims of unexpected terminations.

At the time, Ellen sent out an internal memo vowing to make improvements, and also apologized during her season 18 premiere opening monologue, saying, "I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."

And despite the upcoming Netflix special, Ellen—who has been married to Portia de Rossi since 2008—recently revealed that she is ready to leave Hollywood for good after it premieres.

During a stand-up set in Santa Rosa, Calif., on July 1, one fan asked if they could look forward to seeing Ellen on Broadway or the big screen in the near future.

"Um, no," Ellen replied, according to SFGATE. "This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I'm done."

But she was grateful to her fans that had come out to watch her perform, telling the crowd, "Thank you for still caring!"