Ellen DeGeneres is facing more show drama...and a COVID diagnosis, too

Like, uh, everyone, Ellen DeGeneres has not had a good year. And while 2020 has bruised the best of us, DeGeneres continues to face some extra-serious drama in both her work and home life. As accusations around mistreatment of her show’s staff continue to pile up (as they have been for months now), Ellen has also revealed that she’s tested positive for COVID-19.

In a note posted to Twitter, DeGeneres revealed that she has contracted the coronavirus and that she is following best practices in terms of contact tracing and isolation.

DeGeneres’ positive test result comes roughly six weeks after the host resumed taping her eponymous talk show with a limited live audience of 40 people. While health and safety protocols were put in place (audience members were masked, for example), the decision to bring 40 strangers into a closed studio raises questions. For example: why is it okay for people to attend a taping of Ellen when the rest of us are being told to skip visiting our own families during the holiday season this year?

DeGeneres’ post indicates that she won’t be returning to hosting duties until after the holidays — another setback for her beleaguered show. And a new report from Buzzfeed says that isn’t Ellen’s only problem. Staffers have told the outlet that they’re facing obstacles when it comes to securing appearances from the kinds of A-list stars The Ellen Show is known for. A staff member explained how what they’d been hearing from producers began to change: “For the first time, everyone was starting to ask us, ‘If you have an idea, tell us because we will listen. If you have an idea for a celeb, even if they’re not A-list or famous, we’ll take anyone who will bring us numbers and eyeballs.’ That’s when they started to be real with us and essentially said, ‘Give us anything because we need help.’”

Buzzfeed also chatted with some of the Hollywood PR people responsible for setting up stars with media appearances. One publicist they spoke with indicated that The Ellen Show has become problematic: “I wouldn’t set up anyone on her show right now to do anything that could possibly cause them more negative headlines. You have to tread so carefully with your clients and your clients’ reputations, so you don't want to put your client in any line of fire sympathizing with someone that any community or anyone would feel bad about. We’re not going to align anyone with Ellen.”

And while one of Buzzfeed’s sources claimed there was zero booking drama, other publicists simply say that somewhere along the line, DeGeneres “lost her realness” and A-list appeal.

The show is also fighting to lure sponsors and advertisers to work with them, even during the holidays when ad spending is traditionally higher. “In a typical year, ‘12 Days of Giveaways’ is huge,” a staffer told Buzzfeed, referencing Ellen’s annual gift giveaway. “We’ve basically claimed Christmas on daytime TV. When you think of Christmas on TV, you think of The Ellen Show,” they said. “Everyone wants to be in the audience. Everyone wants the gifts. And so we line up all these crazy sponsors, and people love it. But this year, our ‘12 Days’ is more condensed. We don’t have as many sponsors.” While some of that can be attributed to the economic downturn and current COVID restrictions, the show’s staff says the drop goes beyond that — the show’s ratings have dropped 37%.

All of this follows the firing of three of Ellen’s top show producers who were accused of racial insensitivity, sexual misconduct, and creating a toxic work environment on set. Before that, some of the show’s employees spoke up about how they were being treated during lockdown. While other hosts continued to pay employees (sometimes out of their own pockets) Ellen’s employees were left wondering if they’d be compensated or not.

It isn’t a good look for one of the best-paid stars in the industry.

BEFORE YOU GO: Bella Hadid’s mac and cheese recipe has left fans horrified