The popular host and comedian has been in the headlines in recent months after several accusations about her personality surfaced online. Ellen has been described as a rude and mean personality who is the complete of opposite of the image she projects online.
In fact, according to her former bodyguard Tom Majercak , DeGeneres was “very cold” and “kind of demeaning” when he worked for the host and her family during the 86th Academy Awards.
Moreover, YouTuber Nikkie de Jager — more popularly known as NikkieTutorials — exposed “The Ellen DeGeneres” show for their less than welcoming accomodation of her when she was invited as a guest back in January 2020.
“Call me naive, but I kind of expected to be welcomed with confetti cannons: ‘Welcome to The Ellen DeGeneres Show!’ But instead I was greeted by an angry intern who was a bit overworked,” Nikkie said in a Q&A with Dutch publication &C, via E! Online. “I was expecting a Disney show, but got Teletubbies after dark.”
More recently, former employees came out and shared that they experienced bullying, racism and a toxic work culture while working at the the now 17-season show.
Ellen DeGeneres’ Brand — Ruined?
Now, in an interview with Fox News, brand expert and public relations specialist Eric Schiffer revealed how the recent controversy could affect Ellen’s career and reputation.
Schiffer, who is the chairman of Reputation Management Consultants, said that Ellen is experiencing a “celebrity brand suicide.”
“Authenticity is king with celebrity brands and these continued leaks are lacerating her credibility and mangling her capacity to continue to try to be positioned at a high moral ground,” Schiffer explained.
“It’s celebrity brand suicide.”
For what it’s worth, the show’s execs shifted the blame on themselves for the recent controversies that Ellen faced. However, Schiffer said that the move won’t do anything but worsen the situation since it would look like the 62-year-old host is avoiding responsibility.
“Ellen is unwilling herself to accept full responsibility and is trying to get her senior producers to take the full hit which further shows a lack of character,” Schiffer added. “A leader steps up and learns from it, and now we’re learning that Ellen — who is considered to be squeaky clean in her persona — may be leading an organization that has stone-cold crazy racism going on within it. It’s horrifying to think about.”
It remains to be seen how Ellen will address and navigate the recent controversies to save her career. However, it is looking more and more likely that the popular media personality would need to step put of the limelight for some time.