Ellen DeGeneres, once a beloved television personality and comedian, is making her final bow with her upcoming stand-up special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, set to release on Netflix later this month. The special, premiering on September 24th, marks the end of an era for DeGeneres, who has spent the summer honing her craft in small comedy clubs across California in preparation for this last hurrah.
The announcement comes after the highly publicized and tumultuous end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022, a program that ran for 19 seasons and made Ellen a household name. But the show’s finale was overshadowed by a series of damning accusations, including allegations of a toxic workplace culture, intimidation, and even sexual harassment, which tarnished DeGeneres’s once-sparkling reputation.
In a recent performance before a sold-out crowd in Santa Rosa, California, DeGeneres didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room. “Let me catch you up on what’s been going on with me since you last saw me,” she began, with a characteristic smirk. “I got chickens… Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.” This wry admission is a far cry from the sunny persona that dominated daytime television for nearly two decades, and it highlights the comedian’s ability to turn personal adversity into comedy.
DeGeneres continued to joke about the accusations that led to her fall from grace. “Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay, and mean—the triple crown,” she quipped, adding, “I can be demanding and impatient and tough. I am a strong woman. I am many things, but I am not mean.” Her remarks suggest a defiant refusal to be defined by the scandal that abruptly ended her career, even as she acknowledges the harsh realities of her situation.
Despite the humor, there is an undercurrent of disappointment in DeGeneres’s recent comments. In a candid moment, she revealed her dissatisfaction with how her career concluded. “I just thought, ‘Well, this is not the way I wanted to end my career, but this is the way it’s ending,’” she lamented. The sudden end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show left a bitter taste, with DeGeneres admitting, “I love that show so much, and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way.”
For fans and critics alike, the upcoming Netflix special offers a final glimpse into the life of Ellen DeGeneres post-Hollywood. According to Netflix’s description, the special will delve into her experiences since being “kicked out of show business,” covering everything from the mundane—like raising chickens and parallel parking—to the absurdities of fame. It promises to be a raw, personal, and, above all, funny look at life through the eyes of a woman who has seen both the heights of stardom and the lows of public scandal.
As DeGeneres prepares to step away from the spotlight for good, one can’t help but wonder whether this final act will provide the closure she seeks—or whether it will merely be the last chapter in a complicated legacy. Either way, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval is sure to be a must-watch, not just for fans of the comedian, but for anyone interested in the rise and fall of one of television’s most iconic figures.
