Ellen DeGeneres’ Comeback Attempt: Netflix Special Divides Audiences and Critics

Ellen DeGeneres, once America’s beloved daytime host, is attempting a comeback through a highly publicized Netflix stand-up special titled “For Your Approval.”

Released in 2024, this special marks DeGeneres’ effort to address head-on the controversies and accusations that resulted in her fall from grace.

Despite her efforts at transparency, the special has sharply divided both audiences and critics, leading to a wide range of reactions from brutal criticism to steadfast support.

Ellen’s downfall began notably in March 2020, triggered by a single viral tweet accusing her of hypocrisy for promoting kindness publicly while allegedly maintaining a notoriously mean persona privately.

The tweet prompted numerous individuals to share firsthand accounts of negative experiences with Ellen, quickly spiraling into a massive online backlash.

One prominent accusation involved a waitress at the restaurant Real Food Daily. She reported that Ellen complained to her manager about her chipped fingernail polish—not a hygiene issue, merely an aesthetic concern.

The waitress was nearly fired, drawing widespread condemnation of Ellen’s petty behavior. This story gained further legitimacy when it was featured on Inside Edition, cementing the public’s growing perception of Ellen as disconnected and insensitive.

Similar accounts followed rapidly, with former Warner Brothers employees sharing their negative experiences. One reported losing their job after simply asking Ellen which floor she needed in an elevator.

Another claimed to have faced Ellen’s fury merely by offering a friendly greeting, shocking even Ellen’s wife, Portia de Rossi.

These anecdotes collectively painted a stark picture of a celebrity whose off-camera demeanor starkly contradicted her “Be kind to one another” catchphrase.

Audience members of Ellen’s TV show also spoke out, highlighting strict rules designed to ensure no guest overshadowed Ellen herself.

Donna De Mato, a former audience participant, shared that the production explicitly instructed her to avoid appearing funnier or smarter than Ellen—rules she found absurd given Ellen’s apparent insecurity about her comedic talent.

Moreover, the show’s staffers described a toxic workplace, corroborated by former producer Hedda Muskat, who publicly branded Ellen as “toxic, phony, and hypocritical.”

Staff described environments where they were forbidden from speaking to Ellen or entering her office.

BuzzFeed further intensified the scrutiny with an extensive investigation, revealing disturbing workplace practices including alleged racism, unfair dismissals, and harsh treatment of staff during sensitive personal crises.

Ellen initially responded internally, expressing shock and disappointment, claiming ignorance of the toxic atmosphere. This statement did little to convince the public or her former employees, who accused Ellen of dishonesty and evasion of responsibility.

Ellen took a brief hiatus, returning with a televised apology promising significant changes and improvements.

Despite her efforts, Ellen’s audience sharply declined. The New York Times reported a 43% drop in viewership within six months of her public apology.

This marked an unprecedented decline compared to any of her competitors. Eventually, Ellen announced the end of her long-running show after 19 seasons, citing a lack of challenge and indirectly referencing the damage done by public scrutiny.

In 2023, Ellen attempted a different kind of comeback with a nature documentary titled “Saving the Gorillas: Ellen’s Next Adventure.”

However, with little promotion and poor public interest—indicated by only around 100 IMDb reviews—the documentary failed to recapture public favor.

This all set the stage for her latest attempt: returning to her comedic roots through stand-up comedy.

Ellen’s announcement of her Netflix special “For Your Approval” explicitly referenced addressing her past controversies, indicating a self-aware yet unapologetic approach to her return.

The special itself opens symbolically, with Ellen ascending stairs while highlighting headlines and controversies from her career implosion.

She acknowledges the infamous tweet and allegations from former employees, immediately making it clear she will confront rather than avoid the issues.

Ellen begins with self-deprecating humor, making light of her tarnished reputation. Jokes about being perceived as mean in restaurants cleverly break tension, offering audiences both a laugh and a moment of reflection.

Yet, despite these promising moments, certain segments reveal a lingering disconnect from reality.

Ellen jokes about luxury car features, such as seat adjustments likened humorously but awkwardly to “being spooned by a pregnant woman,” and makes light-hearted yet dismissive remarks about mundane jobs like dry cleaning—reflecting the privileged lifestyle that likely alienated her audience in the first place.

Critical response to the special has been deeply polarized. Major publications were largely negative, criticizing Ellen’s special as “disingenuous,” “self-indulgent,” and “insufferable.”

The main contention among critics was Ellen’s perceived lack of genuine accountability. Reviews highlighted the show’s confusing tone, balancing comedy with defensive rebuttals of past accusations, creating an awkward mix that satisfied neither as comedy nor as personal reflection.

Conversely, some praised Ellen’s unapologetic approach, viewing her willingness to joke candidly about her flaws as refreshingly honest.

Supporters highlighted the courage required to publicly confront and mock one’s failures, emphasizing that Ellen did not shy away from controversy, an approach they found commendable.

Audience reactions on platforms like Google revealed this stark division, with nearly equal numbers of one-star and five-star reviews—a clear representation of the polarized online climate.

The special currently holds an average audience rating of 5.4 stars, aligning closely with the mixed reactions.

Ultimately, Ellen DeGeneres’ “For Your Approval” has not delivered the universal redemption she may have hoped for.

Instead, it underscores the complexities of celebrity redemption in the modern media landscape, where genuine contrition is closely scrutinized, and authenticity is challenging to convincingly portray.

Whether Ellen can fully reclaim public affection remains uncertain, but her polarizing comeback highlights the power—and pitfalls—of public perception in today’s digital age.