Ellen DeGeneres breaks silence on talk show's 'devastating' end 2 years ago: Reports

Ellen DeGeneres is breaking her silence two years after her long-running talk show ended in the wake of allegations of a toxic workplace.

The former "Ellen DeGeneres Show" host, 66, returned to the stage Wednesday night to kick off Ellen’s Last Stand…Up Tour with a set at Los Angeles' Largo at the Coronet. According to Rolling Stone and People, DeGeneres took the opportunity to address the elephant in the room: Her absence from the limelight in recent years.

"We were both just laying low for a while," she said of herself and her wife of 15 years, Portia de Rossi, per the outlets.

Reflecting on the backlash she experienced after a Buzzfeed News published a report in July 2020 detailing current and former employees' claims that they faced racism, fear and intimidation while working on the show, DeGeneres summarized: "The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. I became this one-dimensional character who gave stuff away and danced up steps."

When asked by an audience member whether she was able to dance through tough times, DeGeneres replied, "No, it’s hard to dance when you’re crying. But I am dancing now."

The comedian took a moment to be vulnerable with fans on the first show of her tour.

"I'm making jokes about what happened to me but it was devastating, really," she said. "I just hated the way the show ended. I love that show so much and I just hated that the last time people would see me is that way."

In a monologue commemorating her final episode after 19 years on air, DeGeneres said, "I walked out here 19 years ago, and I said that this is the start of a relationship. And today is not the end of a relationship. It's more of a little break. It’s a, 'You can see other talk shows now. And I may see another audience once in a while.'"

DeGeneres' contract expired in May 2022, when the show aired its final episode, and before this, she spoke publicly about potentially ending the show.

What happened on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in 2020?

In its report, Buzzfeed News noted that most former employees blamed executive producers and other senior managers for the "day-to-day toxicity." Still, one former employee said DeGeneres "really needs to take more responsibility."

Some said they were fired after taking medical leave or bereavement days to attend funerals, while one claimed she dealt with racist comments, actions and microaggressions.

Upon returning to the show following the bombshell report, DeGeneres told the audience, "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected."

Looking back on 'Ellen':Most memorable moments from the show's 19-year-run

She continued, "I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show."

In a statement to USA TODAY in 2020, executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said they were "truly heartbroken and sorry to learn" about the claims.

"Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe, and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience."

The following month, executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and co-executive producer Jonathan Norman were ousted from the syndicated talk show

According to the comedian's website, five more LA shows are scheduled through early June before DeGeneres goes on the road to other West Coast cities.

Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff and Sara M Moniuszko