Television host Megyn Kelly has launched a fierce on-air assault against comedian Ellen DeGeneres, reigniting controversy over DeGeneres' behaviour behind the scenes of her former talk show and criticising her recent political intervention.
Kelly's Explosive Allegations of On-Set Bullying
During a monologue on her show, The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly combined a scathing response to a recent video posted by DeGeneres with a new behind-the-scenes allegation. Kelly asserted that the downfall of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which ended in 2022 after 19 years, was deserved due to DeGeneres' conduct. "Let's not forget why Ellen lost her daytime show," Kelly stated. "It's because she was a bully."
Kelly then made a specific claim about the show's internal culture, alleging she was "very reliably informed" by a personal connection about a demeaning rule for staff. "She had a rule... you were not allowed to look her in the eye as one of her producers when you walked past her in the hallway," Kelly claimed.
Linking Past Conduct to Current Political Views
Kelly's rant was triggered by a video DeGeneres, 67, posted on Sunday from her £19 million UK mansion in the Cotswolds. In the clip, the gaunt-looking former host criticised US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and expressed solidarity with protesters in Minneapolis. DeGeneres said she was "proud of everyone who's protesting peacefully" and was "sorry for anyone who has been hurt just for protesting."
Her remarks appeared to reference Renee Good, 37, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent at a protest in Minneapolis on January 7. The incident remains under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
Kelly argued that the "same behavior that allegedly poisoned DeGeneres' workplace now informs her political views." She mocked DeGeneres for weighing in on US politics after moving to the UK following Donald Trump's election victory in late 2024, saying, "She's abandoned the United States to go live in the UK, but it's still really important to all of us what she thinks."
The Backdrop of Controversy and Unrest
The Ellen DeGeneres Show was cancelled after widespread allegations of a toxic workplace culture emerged publicly in 2020. Former staffers told BuzzFeed they had been fired for taking bereavement or sick leave, leading to an internal investigation that saw three top producers fired. DeGeneres later said she was "shocked and surprised" by some allegations.
The unrest in Minneapolis traces back to December, following a viral YouTube video alleging a fraud scheme involving Somali child-care centres. This led to a federal immigration crackdown and the deployment of ICE agents to Minnesota. Good was shot three times while sitting in her car during a protest against that deployment.
Concluding her attack, Kelly accused DeGeneres of "willful ignorance" and said, "Shame on her. Enjoy England." She added sarcastically, "I'm sorry that our friends across the pond are stuck with Ellen, but let's face it, they gave us Harry and Meghan, so they deserve it."
