Comedian Adam Carolla recently shared his experiences from 15 years ago when he appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show. He described how her staff seemed “scared” of her, claiming they would “cower” at the thought of interacting with her.
Carolla was speaking on “After Party with Emily Dasinski” and recounted how the producers had anxiously reminded him not to mention meat during their conversation. It seemed like a big deal for them.
“Yeah, this guy is so scary I’m going to die for. I was scared,” he said, reminiscing about the nervous energy in the room. After confirming his talking points just before he left, a producer warned him again: “OK, but don’t talk about beef or meat.”
He noted a stark contrast between his experience on Ellen’s show and appearances on others, such as those of Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno, where he felt much more at ease. According to Carolla, the atmosphere on DeGeneres’s show was markedly anxious, especially among the staff.
“Ellen’s show, people were scared—really scary,” he insisted.
Carolla mentioned a conversation with a writer who had worked for both DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell. The writer expressed that DeGeneres was more difficult to work with, saying, “the worst person I’ve ever worked for, the worst person I’ve ever met.” Carolla echoed this sentiment, stating, “She’s not a good person at all.” Despite acknowledging that she wasn’t mean to him personally, he noted that others were terrified of her.
Representatives for DeGeneres had not responded to requests for comments when approached.
In a Netflix special last September, DeGeneres, who now resides with her wife, Portia de Rossi, in the UK, was criticized for creating a toxic workplace environment. She admitted to being “prideful” about her past and reflected on how much she had cared about what people thought of her. The constant pressure to please everyone took a toll on her, she revealed.
“After a life of compassion, I can’t do it anymore, so I won’t,” she concluded, hinting at a significant shift in her perspective over the years.
