Ellen DeGeneres is set for a significant Hollywood comeback, reprising her role as the beloved fish Dory in Disney's billion-dollar Finding Nemo franchise. The 68-year-old comedian, who faced a wave of bullying accusations, will voice Dory in an upcoming short film, according to Deadline.
Return to Animation
DeGeneres first voiced Dory in the 2003 original Finding Nemo and later in the 2016 sequel Finding Dory, which grossed $1.029 billion at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films ever. The sequel was her last film role before her public image suffered due to allegations of bullying and misconduct.
The Scandal
The controversy began in March 2020 when comedian Kevin T. Porter tweeted asking for stories about Ellen being mean, which garnered thousands of responses. In July 2020, BuzzFeed News published an exposé featuring allegations from one current and 10 former employees of her daytime talk show, including claims of racism, workplace bullying, and sexual harassment. WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation, and executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman were fired. DeGeneres apologized to her 255 employees and later to fans on air, broadcasting her final episode in May 2022 after 19 seasons.
She described the backlash as a "coordinated misogynistic" attack. Reflecting in 2022, she told The Hollywood Reporter, "I have to just trust that whatever happened during that time, which was obviously very, very difficult, happened for a reason."
Recent Projects
After a hiatus, she returned with a 2024 Netflix special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, which received mixed reviews (33% on Rotten Tomatoes). In 2024, the Daily Mail reported explosive allegations from a former staffer about a culture of fear on her show.
Move to the UK and Back
Following Donald Trump's 2024 election victory, DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi moved to the UK. She told Richard Bacon in Cheltenham, "We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis... We're staying here." She praised the UK's beauty, cleanliness, and politeness. However, they later bought a $27.4 million mansion in Montecito, California, and now split time between the UK and Montecito.
