NEWSEllen DeGeneres Accused of 'Embarrassing' Zendaya and Trying to Make Her 'Sound Like a Failure' in Resurfaced Clip: Watch
Ellen DeGeneres was accused of purposefully trying to 'embarrass' Zendaya in a resurfaced interview from 2016.
June 29 2026, Published 6:09 p.m. ET
Ellen DeGeneres is facing the heat after a resurfaced video has critics calling her out for trying to "embarrass" Zendaya.
The Dune actress, 29, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in a resurfaced clip from March 2016, where she discussed living at home with her parents at 20 years old.
Zendaya Appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' In 2016
Zendaya appeared on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' in March 2016.
"And you're still living at home right?" the former host, 68, asked as Zendaya began laughing. "And is that to save money or ... ?"
The Spider-Man star agreed there was a financial "perk," but highlighted that the pros to living with her parents outweighed the cons.
"Because me and my parents, I feel like, we have, you know, we've set boundaries. You know we have territories," she recounted. "Once I hit 18, I was like, guys, I need you to just give me a little space. Just so I can, you know, be a teenager, be grown a little bit."
Zendaya Talked the 'Perks' of Living at Home
Ellen DeGeneres questioned Zendaya about living at home as a young adult.
Zendaya said that her parents respected her space, but the arrangement also had its benefits in certain situations.
"I don't have to wake myself up, I've got a free ride, you know what I mean, whenever I want," she continued. "So I mean why would I want to give that up?"
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Fans Reacted to the Viral Clip
Social media critics suggested that Ellen DeGeneres tried to 'tease' Zendaya about living at home.
Social media reacted to the viral footage, with many suggesting that the talk show host was trying to humiliate the actress with her teasing.
"There's nothing wrong with living with your parent at 20's don't allow anyone deceive, till you are financially stable and decide to move out," a user said via X, while another wrote, "Ellen DeGeneres tried to embarrass Zendaya for living with her parents… and it completely backfired 😭😂. Honestly, it’s normal in most parts of the world."
"Zendaya shut that down so smoothly," a third added. "Ellen was trying to make living with parents sound like a failure, but Zendaya flipped it into 'it’s actually a smart setup with respect and perks.'"
'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' Ended in 2020
'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' aired for 19 seasons.
DeGeneres' show ran for 19 seasons before officially ending on May 26, 2022.
The cancelation came after BuzzFeed News published a report compiled of former and current employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in July 2020, accusing the popular series of mistreatment behind the scenes, including alleged racism and being overworked.
Following an internal investigation by WarnerMedia, the comedian apologized to her staff in a letter.
"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. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case," she wrote in the message, which was obtained by a news outlet. "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."
