Ellen DeGeneres Cancels 4 Summer Stand-Up Dates 1 Month After Starting Tour
Ellen DeGeneres abruptly canceled a few of her comedy shows just one month after kicking off her Ellen’s Last Stand-Up… tour last month.
Ticketmaster issued an “event canceled” message to consumers who purchased tickets to shows in Dallas, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago for dates scheduled between July and August.
“Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event,” the site shared in a statement with ticket holders. “You don't need to do a thing. We'll issue a refund to the original method of payment used at the time of purchase, as soon as funds are received from the Event Organizer. It should appear on your account within 14-21 days.”
According to Ticketmaster, the canceled dates are July 10 in Dallas, July 21 in San Francisco, July 23 in Seattle, and August 11 in Chicago.
The ticketing site also noted that if the ticket was purchased by someone other than the ticket holder, “the refund will go to the fan who originally purchased the tickets from Ticketmaster.”
The 27-show North American tour was announced in late May and was teased as the “last opportunity” to witness Ellen, 66, in her “final curtain call.” Her August 16 and 17 shows in Minneapolis are set to be taped and are reportedly her “last,” according to People.
"She is a true legend and pioneer in so many ways," Robbie Praw, VP of Stand-Up and Comedy Formats at Netflix, spoke of the Louisiana native highly in a press release. "We can't wait to bring fans another one of her hilarious comedy specials later this year."
Ellen returned to the comedy circuit after announcing the decision to end her long-running talk show following 19 seasons on air in May 2021.
The former talk show host addressed rumors of her cancellation following a July 2020 BuzzFeed News report, in which current and former employees shared negative experiences on set. These included claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions, and fear of retribution for raising complaints.
"I really didn't understand it; I still don't understand it," the Finding Nemo star said during an appearance on the Today show in May 2021. "It was too orchestrated; it was too coordinated."
She continued, “For me to read in the press about a toxic work environment, when all I’ve ever heard from every guest that comes on the show is what a happy atmosphere this is and what a happy place this is.”
Ellen concluded that she “wished” someone would’ve come out to her and said, “Hey, something’s going on that you should know about.”
More recently, the Ellen Show alum joked about getting “kicked out of show business” for “being mean” during an L.A. tour stop in April.
"The hate went on for a long time and I would try to avoid looking at the news. The 'be kind' girl wasn't kind. That was the headline,” she said on stage. "I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating. It took a long time for me to want to do anything again."