'I Can Be Demanding and Tough': Ellen DeGeneres Insists She's 'Not Mean' While Addressing Toxic Workplace Claims During Stand-Up Show

Ellen DeGeneres tackled her controversies head-on during her Monday, July 1, show on the "Ellen’s Last Stand…Up" tour.

The comedian first thanked fans at the Santa Rosa, Calif., venue for "still caring" about her after staffers of her eponymous talk show accused the star of creating a toxic workplace.

While updating attendees on what she's been up to over the past few years, she told them, "I got kicked out of show business for being mean."

"I used to say, ‘I don’t care what people say about me.’ Now I realize I said that during the height of my popularity," the actress, 66, admitted, hinting she was in fact hurt by the allegations made against her.

DeGeneres noted that wasn't the first time a Hollywood production gave her the axe, hinting that she believes her sitcom Ellen was canceled because she came out as a lesbian.

"Next time, I’ll be kicked out for being old," she quipped. "Old, gay and mean, the triple crown."

The Daytime Emmy winner clarified that she may not be the easiest boss to work for, confessing, "I can be demanding and impatient and tough."

However, those things make her "a strong woman."

"I am many things, but I am not mean," she concluded.

As OK! reported, an insider claimed DeGeneres decided to return to stand-up to get back in Hollywood's "good graces."

"Ellen knows it’s an uphill battle, but she’s adamant about not succumbing to the cancel culture trend," the source told a news outlet earlier this year. "She’s taken a much-needed break and laid low, but she’s antsy and itching to get back to work again, and she’s starting at the beginning by doing stand-up."

The 2020 allegations against DeGeneres included complaints from staffers of "racism, fear and intimidation," with some claiming she bullied them.

The star issued an apology but steered clear of confessing any allegations were true. "On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect," she said.

"Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case," DeGeneres noted. "And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."

In 2022, the show aired its series finale, but she claimed it wasn't due to the scandal.

SFGATE reported on the comments DeGeneres made during her stand-up set.