15+ Times Ellen DeGeneres Displayed Problematic Behavior On Her Show
Remember when she forced Mariah Carey to admit she was pregnant on television?
Ellen DeGeneres spent years building a reputation as daytime TV's friendly face, but that image started to crack as more awkward and troubling moments resurfaced online. From celebrity interviews to behind-the-scenes complaints, The Ellen DeGeneres Show became a place where viewers began rewatching old clips with very different eyes.
By the time the show ended in 2021, the conversation had shifted from entertainment to accountability. Former guests, employees, and fans all pointed to moments that felt rude, uncomfortable, or flat-out mean, and the list kept growing as people revisited the show's biggest viral clips.
Here are some of the most questionable Ellen moments that people still talk about today.
1. When Ellen insisted Hasan Minhaj was mispronouncing his own name and claimed to know more about how to pronounce it:
The Ellen ShowThat clip still makes people cringe.
2. When Ellen questioned Celine Dion's parenting by asking about her son's hair:
The Ellen Show3. When Ellen offered to pay a girl's tuition but had to rescind the offer. She then proposed giving her a computer instead, but the guest already had one.
The Ellen Show
4. When she insisted that Taylor Swift and Zac Efron were dating, even though Taylor repeatedly shut down the question:
The Ellen Show
It only got more uncomfortable from there.
5. When she showed Justin Bieber's nude pictures from a private vacation and questioned him about who he was with, even when he was visibly uncomfortable:
The Ellen Show
6. When she denied going on tour, but Wanda Sykes produced tour merchandise:
The Ellen Show
7. When she asked Martha Stewart if she knew what sexting was, in a condescending tone:
The Ellen Show
8. When she asked about Dakota Johnson's birthday party and expressed disappointment at not being invited:
The Ellen Show
By then, the pattern was hard to ignore.
Envious friend drama echoes the awkward Ellen-show moments, where one guest’s behavior took over the spotlight.
9. When she kept playing with Kylie Jenner's hair, despite Kylie not giving her permission to touch it:
When Ellen kept playing with/touching Kylie Jenner's hair, even though Kylie did not give Ellen permission to touch her hair:
The Ellen Show
10. When she made Channing Tatum kiss a porcelain doll, knowing he was terrified of them:
The Ellen Show
11. When she joked about Drew Barrymore's daughter drinking at six years of age, despite Drew suffering from alcohol addiction and having started drinking at age nine:
The Ellen Show
12. When she sent Justin Timberlake a clip of her singing one of his songs, but with the wrong lyrics:
The Ellen Show
13. When she made fun of Nicole Kidman's clap:
The Ellen Show
And the awkward moments kept piling up.
14. When she annoyed Michelle Obama while they were in CVS:
The Ellen Show
15. When she incorrectly sang "If I Could Turn Back Time" in front of Cher, who then called her a "bitch":
The Ellen Show
16. When she forgot Katy was already married and even gave her a wedding gift:
The Ellen Show
17. When she forced Mariah Carey to admit that she was pregnant, even when Carey was not ready to do so. Ellen made Carey drink champagne, and weeks later, Carey suffered a miscarriage:
The Ellen Show
It's horrific to see all these complaints made about Ellen, but when we reflect on it, she did engage in many questionable actions on the show, particularly towards her celebrity guests. Additionally, it's not just one staff member who reported her behavior off-screen, which speaks volumes, unfortunately.
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Her nice-girl image never really recovered.
For more “please just let me vanish” moments, read about Hollywood’s biggest stars who wanted the Earth to swallow them whole.
