On Thursday, Ellen DeGeneres announced she had tested positive for COVID-19. She tweeted the news on her Twitter page.
“Hi Everyone,” DeGeneres wrote. “I want to let you all know that I tested positive for Covid-19. Fortunately, I’m feeling fine right now. Anyone who has been in close contact with me has been notified, and I am following all proper CDC guidelines. I’ll see you all again after the holidays. Please stay healthy and safe.”
Her show is still taping with precautions and CDC regulations rules that are followed.
Mariah Carey recently sat down with Vulture to discuss her three decade long career, her upcoming memoir and so much more. During the interview, Mimi recalled being forced to announce her pregnancy back in 2008 on the Ellen Degenres Show. At the time, there were rumors, but Carey had yet to confirm them. With a thirst to settle the rumors, Denegeres proceeded to give Carey champagne in a “toast to not being pregnant.”
“I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say,” says the “Shake It Off” singer. “And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage.”
A tragic and private experience for Carey was made into a tv moment that lacked empathy.
“I don’t want to throw anyone that’s already being thrown under any proverbial bus, but I didn’t enjoy that moment.”
Carey refers to recent accusations of unfair treatment by The Ellen Degenres Show employees. While the claims continue to loom, the Emmy winner has received support from Kevin Hart, Scooter Braun and more.
The Songbird Supreme goes on to describe a defenseless feeling during the interview. She had hoped for “empathy that can be applied to those moments that I would have liked to have been implemented. But what am I supposed to do?”
Ellen Degeneres asked Mariah Carey if she was pregnant & when Mariah refused to answer she brought out champagne to coerce her into revealing it pic.twitter.com/weFsEuKxtI
After Kevin Hart defended Ellen DeGeneres, the pair were spotted at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California where they were both dripped in blue and deep in conversation.
Multiple celebrities including Katy Perry, Scooter Braun, Diane Keaton, came to her defense after she was accused of creating a toxic work environment. Tyrese even defended the talk show host although he never met her.
“It’s crazy to see my friend go thru what she’s going thru publicly,” Hart posted to Instagram in early August. “I have known Ellen for years and I can honestly say that she’s one of the dopest people on the f–king planet. She has treated my family and my team with love and respect from day 1. The internet has become a crazy world of negativity….we are falling in love with peoples down fall. It’s honestly sad…When did we get here?”
“I stand by the ones that I know and that I love,” he continued. “Looking forward to the future where we get back to loving one another….this hate s–t has to stop. Hopefully it goes out of style soon….This post is not meant to disregard the feelings of others and their experiences….It’s simply to show what my experiences have been with my friend. Love you for life Ellen…”
WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation in response to the claims. Ellen DeGeneres responded to the accusations in a statement:
“As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t,” DeGeneres wrote. “That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
While the world is figuring out how to cope with the impending changes to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, COVID-19, celebrities have taken to social media to show how they are coping with the downtime and who’s better to get advice from than the former First Lady Michelle Obama.
On Monday (Mar 23), Ellen Degeneres took to Instagram Live to help fans curb their boredom from being isolated, by calling on her friend Michelle Obama to share tips on what the Obama family is doing during the time of social distancing. Degeneres, whose show has suspended production until the end of the month for the safety of her staff and others, rang up the former FLOTUS for a five-minute catch-up to pass the time.
“We’re just trying to structure our days. Everybody’s home, the girls are back because colleges are now online. They’re off in their respective rooms doing their online classes. I think Barack is, I don’t know where he is. He was on the phone on a conference call,” Mrs. Obama said. “We’re just trying to keep a routine going, but we’ve also got a little Netflix and chillin’ happening.”
Though times are tough — Obama highlighted those who need and will need help as the pandemic unfolds — she also gave her take on how to find silver linings where possible.
“On the positive side, I know for us, it’s forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers,” Mrs. Obama continued. “It’s a good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have. When times are bad, having each other, having your health, we can do with a lot less, and I think that’s an important lesson that I want my kids to understand—be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes. Now we’re just happy that we’re together. That everybody is healthy and safe.”
In addition to her words of wisdom during the impromptu interview, Michelle Obama also posted some tips on her own Instagram on how to lend a hand during this time of need as well all fight to combat the spread of the Coronavirus at home.
Dwyane Wade is a great example of fathers nationwide. The former NBA star stopped by The Ellen Show to proudly talk about his 12-year-old’s transition.
His son, born Zion, wants to now be referred to as Zaya using the pronouns she/her. “So once Zaya, our 12-year-old, came home — first Zion, I don’t know if everyone knows, originally named Zion, born as a boy — came home and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward I’m ready to live my truth. I want to be referenced as she and her, I would love for you guys to call me Zaya,’ ” Wade told DeGeneres, according to PEOPLE magazine.
“So internally, it’s now our job to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship that we have— my wife (Gabrielle Union) reached out to everybody on the cast of Pose— we’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self,” Wade added.
Dwyane Wade called Zaya “a leader” and called her “a voice.” “Once Zaya came home and said, ‘I want you to call me Zaya and I’m ready to take on this,’ I looked at her and said, ‘You are a leader. And this is our opportunity to allow you to be a voice,’ ” Wade said to DeGeneres. “Right now it’s through us, because she’s 12 years old, but eventually it will be through her.”
“First of all, I think it’s what every parent should be is what you’re being right now,” DeGeneres told Wade. “Which is unconditionally loving your child and supporting your child in whoever they are.”
Ellen DeGeneres is facing backlash from the LGBTQ community after insisting Kevin Hart host the Oscars following homophobic comments he made in 2008. Hart, who initially felt he’d already addressed the derogatory comments as this was not the first time they were unearthed, refused to apologize when they surfaced again.
Instead, he stepped down as this year’s Oscars host saying he is not going to “continue to go back” to his past mistakes. See that video below.
Later, he did find it within himself to say “sorry” and now Ellen DeGeneres is backing him as this year’s host for the Academy Awards. Hart appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today, Friday, January 4, and the daytime talk show host agreed that he has apologized enough.
I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.
I'm sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again.
“You’ve already expressed that it’s not being educated on the subject, not realizing how dangerous those words are, not realizing how many kids are killed for being gay or beaten up every day,” she told Hart. “You have grown, you have apologized, you are apologizing again right now. You’ve done it.” “Host the Oscars,” she added. Watch the clips from his appearance on her show here.
It’s safe to say the LGBTQ community isn’t here for any of it, as this has been the resounding response:
Ellen giving homophobes the ability to say “but Ellen said it’s okay” is a massive fucking betrayal.
I don’t care how many sitcoms you lost in the 90s.
Kevin Hart was given a significant opportunity when he was invited to host the 91st Academy Awards, taking place in February. For any host, it’s a massive undertaking. Arguably a gig with the biggest audience a performer may ever have, hosting the Oscars is a milestone most would consider a great honor. Hart said as much, mentioning his late mother when he accepted. But the gig (and its massive global audience) also brings with it gravity and, for many hosts, the need for serious consideration. That much was clear when, in December, Hart said he was stepping down from the Oscars gig just two days after he was named as the host. The upheaval was a result of blow-back Hart and the Academy received in response to homophobic remarks Hart made in the past.
At the time of his decision to step down, Hart took to social media to express his sentiments. He was evidently frustrated with the Internet’s tendency to “cancel” people based on things like old Tweets. “Stop looking for reasons to be negative…Stop searching for reasons to be angry….I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in,” he said. Frustration may have been even more acute because Hart had previously addressed those homophobic remarks, years prior to his being named host of the Oscars. Despite whatever feelings he may have had about the fairness of the backlash, he decided to separate himself from the Academy Awards so as not to be a distraction.
Hart’s decision to step down received a fair amount of backlash, too. Many felt it was a reactionary step and, had he given it more time, the up-in-arms fervor would have died down. Now that two months have passed, it seems Hart may be feeling similarly. On today’s (January 4) episode of Ellen, Hart sat with host Ellen Degeneres and spoke candidly about revisiting his decision to pass up the Oscars gig and potential for return. Addressing the “onslaught of social media about my past coming back up again,” Hart tells Ellen his initial plan was to ignore the criticism. “I was going to ignore it, because it’s 10 years old. This is stuff I’ve addressed. I’ve talked about this. This isn’t new.”
However, that “onslaught” kept growing. Hart remarks that headlines began to change. “The headlines are ‘Kevin Hart refuses to apologize for homophobic tweets from the past.’ The word ‘again’ was left out.” It became “slander,” Hart says, adding “I [was] upset because I know who I am. I know I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body. I know that I’ve addressed it. I know that I’ve apologized. I know that, within my apology, I’ve taken 10 years to put my apology to work. I’ve yet to go back to that version of the immature comedian that once was.”
Hart says he was backed into a corner, of sorts. “I was given an ultimatum. ‘Kevin, apologize, or we’re going to have to find another host.’”
How he responded to that ultimatum is now public knowledge. But what’s new is Ellen’s contributions to the conversation. As a proud and groundbreaking LGBTQ celebrity as well as a past Oscars host, she used the platform of her television show to offer her support for Hart. “I called the Academy today,” she said. “I really want you to host the Oscars.” She goes on to say that she called them without knowing whether Hart would even be interested in returning. She says the Academy wants him back. According to Degeneres, the organization said “We feel maybe he misunderstood, or it was handled wrong, or maybe we said the wrong thing. But we want him to host.” At this point in the interview, there’s a pause for audience applause, and Hart begins to formulate his response.
“What I can say is this,” he begins. “In this case, it’s tough for me because it was an attack. This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a coincidence that the day after I received the job, that tweets just somehow manifested. From 2008…to go through 40,000 tweets to get back to 2008? That’s an attack. That’s a malicious attack on my character. That’s an attack to end me. That’s not just an attack to get me out of the Oscars. This is what I want people to understand.”
He continues, “Somebody has to take a stand against the trolls.” To that, Degeneres says “They’re going to win if you don’t host the Oscars.” She adds that, in her opinion, the Academy has always been hoping Hart would return as host. It’s extremely unusual for the organization to refrain from naming a host after New Year’s Day. “Don’t let those people win,” says Ellen. “Host the Oscars.”
Finally, Hart addresses her request more forthrightly, though refrains from formally re-accepting the job. “You have said a lot of amazing things,” he tells his host. “You have put a lot of things on my mind. Leaving here, I promise you I’m evaluating this conversation. This is a conversation I needed to have; I’m glad I had it here. I’m glad it’s as authentic and real as I could’ve hoped it would be.”
According to Variety, the Academy representative with whom Degeneres reportedly spoke has yet to confirm nor deny this potentially tide-turning conversation happened. It’s also worth noting that many, particularly in the Black queer community, feel Hart’s public apologies are not enough to combat the rampant homophobia that still plagues their community.
Kevin Hart was given a significant opportunity when he was invited to host the 91st Academy Awards, taking place in February. For any host, it’s a massive undertaking. Arguably a gig with the biggest audience a performer may ever have, hosting the Oscars is a milestone most would consider a great honor. Hart said as much, mentioning his late mother when he accepted. But the gig (and its massive global audience) also brings with it gravity and, for many hosts, the need for serious consideration. That much was clear when, in December, Hart said he was stepping down from the Oscars gig just two days after he was named as the host. The upheaval was a result of blow-back Hart and the Academy received in response to homophobic remarks Hart made in the past.
At the time of his decision to step down, Hart took to social media to express his sentiments. He was evidently frustrated with the Internet’s tendency to “cancel” people based on things like old Tweets. “Stop looking for reasons to be negative…Stop searching for reasons to be angry….I swear I wish you guys could see/feel/understand the mental place that I am in,” he said. Frustration may have been even more acute because Hart had previously addressed those homophobic remarks, years prior to his being named host of the Oscars. Despite whatever feelings he may have had about the fairness of the backlash, he decided to separate himself from the Academy Awards so as not to be a distraction.
Hart’s decision to step down received a fair amount of backlash, too. Many felt it was a reactionary step and, had he given it more time, the up-in-arms fervor would have died down. Now that two months have passed, it seems Hart may be feeling similarly. On today’s (January 4) episode of Ellen, Hart sat with host Ellen Degeneres and spoke candidly about revisiting his decision to pass up the Oscars gig and potential for return. Addressing the “onslaught of social media about my past coming back up again,” Hart tells Ellen his initial plan was to ignore the criticism. “I was going to ignore it, because it’s 10 years old. This is stuff I’ve addressed. I’ve talked about this. This isn’t new.”
However, that “onslaught” kept growing. Hart remarks that headlines began to change. “The headlines are ‘Kevin Hart refuses to apologize for homophobic tweets from the past.’ The word ‘again’ was left out.” It became “slander,” Hart says, adding “I [was] upset because I know who I am. I know I don’t have a homophobic bone in my body. I know that I’ve addressed it. I know that I’ve apologized. I know that, within my apology, I’ve taken 10 years to put my apology to work. I’ve yet to go back to that version of the immature comedian that once was.”
Hart says he was backed into a corner, of sorts. “I was given an ultimatum. ‘Kevin, apologize, or we’re going to have to find another host.’”
How he responded to that ultimatum is now public knowledge. But what’s new is Ellen’s contributions to the conversation. As a proud and groundbreaking LGBTQ celebrity as well as a past Oscars host, she used the platform of her television show to offer her support for Hart. “I called the Academy today,” she said. “I really want you to host the Oscars.” She goes on to say that she called them without knowing whether Hart would even be interested in returning. She says the Academy wants him back. According to Degeneres, the organization said “We feel maybe he misunderstood, or it was handled wrong, or maybe we said the wrong thing. But we want him to host.” At this point in the interview, there’s a pause for audience applause, and Hart begins to formulate his response.
“What I can say is this,” he begins. “In this case, it’s tough for me because it was an attack. This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a coincidence that the day after I received the job, that tweets just somehow manifested. From 2008…to go through 40,000 tweets to get back to 2008? That’s an attack. That’s a malicious attack on my character. That’s an attack to end me. That’s not just an attack to get me out of the Oscars. This is what I want people to understand.”
He continues, “Somebody has to take a stand against the trolls.” To that, Degeneres says “They’re going to win if you don’t host the Oscars.” She adds that, in her opinion, the Academy has always been hoping Hart would return as host. It’s extremely unusual for the organization to refrain from naming a host after New Year’s Day. “Don’t let those people win,” says Ellen. “Host the Oscars.”
Finally, Hart addresses her request more forthrightly, though refrains from formally re-accepting the job. “You have said a lot of amazing things,” he tells his host. “You have put a lot of things on my mind. Leaving here, I promise you I’m evaluating this conversation. This is a conversation I needed to have; I’m glad I had it here. I’m glad it’s as authentic and real as I could’ve hoped it would be.”
According to Variety, the Academy representative with whom Degeneres reportedly spoke has yet to confirm nor deny this potentially tide-turning conversation happened. It’s also worth noting that many, particularly in the Black queer community, feel Hart’s public apologies are not enough to combat the rampant homophobia that still plagues their community.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres wants to see Kevin Hart host the Academy Awards. The popular TV personality has come to Hart’s defense amid his recent decision not to take over the Oscars over past anti-gay Twitter remarks.
Ellen went to Twitter this week to speak up for Hart following their Q&A on her talk show.
I had an incredible and honest conversation with @KevinHart4real about hosting the #Oscars. It was supposed to air on Monday. I don’t want you to have to wait, so now it’s gonna air tomorrow.
Despite the heartfelt words and Kevin addressing the situation on her show, social media hit DeGeneres with backlash.
I feel like if you’re not homophobic anymore, you shouldn’t mind apologizing for your past homophobia again and again and again. I don’t want to hear a hostile retelling of how we didn’t hear your meager apology the first time.
(1) First, the people who brought up Kevin Hart's past tweets — like me — were not, as Ellen characterized, "haters." The host of the Oscars had made anti-gay jokes, and LGBT people who love the Oscars were legitimately startled to see just how harsh his words were. It wasn't a…
Ellen’s show is basically the embodiment of respectability politics, so using it as a platform to absolve Kevin Hart on our behalf sounds pretty much on brand. Her sitcom allowed her to do something radical, which she suffered for, & she’s been running away from that ever since.
The only thing @KevinHart4real proved by going on Ellen was that he is a terrible actor with zero genuine remorse who didn’t have the decency to address his ignorance. No, they weren’t “haters” who came after you. It was the LGBTQI+ community because we’re sick to shit of it.
I also believe in forgiveness. But I also believe that forgiveness requires an actual apology. Not “I’m sorry people are so sensitive.” Just “I am sorry.” All he had to do. And he indignantly refused because he felt his moment was being tainted. That he was the aggrieved.
this whole ellen/kevin hart thing is a perfect example of how privilege and constant praise distorts a person’s reality so much that they perceive any criticism, however valid, to be an attack on their entire livelihood
I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.
I'm sorry that I hurt people.. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love & appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again.
“Guys, I’m almost 40 years old. If you don’t believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get older, I don’t know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you. I’m the wrong guy, man.”
Kevin Hart made an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show to promote his upcoming comedy-drama, The Upside, which co-stars Bryan Cranston. Of course he couldn’t leave the show without first addressed the Oscars controversy which was sparked by unearthed, homophobic tweets.
They caused an uproar and Hart consequently stepped down from his hosting gig. But according to Ellen, the Academy is still interested in the comedian hosting the ceremony.
“They were like, ‘Oh my God, we want him to host,’” DeGeneres said. “‘We feel like maybe it was misunderstood or it was handled wrong or maybe we said the wrong thing, but we want him to host. Whatever we could do, we would be thrilled.’”
The talk show host, who is a former Oscars host herself, defend Hart calling Internet trolls “a small group of people being very loud.” But he was still hesitant and swore that the tweets surfacing shortly after his gig was announced was a direct attack to him.
“To any attack, there’s another side,” Hart said. “There’s always an A-side and there’s a B-side. On my side, I say, openly, I’m wrong for my past words. I said it. I understand that. I know that. My kids know when their dad messes up, I’m in front of it because I want to be an example so they know what to do. In this case, it’s tough for me because it was an attack. This wasn’t an accident; it wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t a coincidence that the day after I received the job that tweets just manifested from 2008. To go through 40,000 tweets to get back to 2008. That’s an attack. That’s a malicious attack on my character. That’s an attack to end me. That’s not an attack to just stop the Oscars.”
Ellen kept pushing though because she knows how bad Kevin Hart wants to host the Oscars.
“But [the trolls] gonna win, if you don’t host the Oscars,” DeGeneres said. “So for you to stand up and say, ’No,’ whoever you are…who knows who this person is or people? Who cares? You can’t let them destroy you and they can’t destroy you because you have too much talent. And for them to stop you from your dream, to do what you wanted to do—and what you have a right to do, what you should be doing—it’s why they haven’t found another host. I think they were secretly hoping that you would come back.”
Do you think Kevin Hart should hop back on board and host the Oscars?
Ellen DeGeneres dropped a bomb during her interview with The New York Times publish on Wednesday.
The longtime talk show host says that she’s considering ending her show once her contract is up in 2020.
The comedian revealed that her wife, Portia de Rossi, is encouraging to retire, meanwhile her comedian brother, Vance DeGeneres, is urging her to continue.
“She gets mad when my brother tells me I can’t stop,” DeGeneres told the New York Times about de Rossi.
“I just think she’s such a brilliant actress and stand-up that it doesn’t have to be this talk show for her creativity,” de Rossi said. “There are other things she could tackle.”
The Ellen Degeneres Show is currently on its 15th season, and has been on-air since 2003. However, retirement is something that Ellen has been considering on-and-off for a while.
