Ellen DeGeneres Went to Therapy to Treat OCD and ADD After Being Canceled for ‘Being Mean’
Ellen DeGeneres is speaking out about her mental health after being kicked out of Hollywood for “being mean.”
Ellen, 66, opened up about using therapy as a means to treat her obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) during Ellen’s Last Stand … Up at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 1.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show star told the audience that growing up, she was raised in a religion called Christian Science, which did “not acknowledge diseases or disorders.” As she got older and worked through her issues with therapy, she realized her father had OCD after she observed symptoms such as repeatedly checking the door or faucet up to 15 times.
“I went home and I asked Porsha, I said, ‘Do you think that I may have OCD?’ And she said, ‘Yes, you do,’” she told the audience. “I've never thought of myself as obsessive. I think of myself as careful and everyone else careless and out of control.”
Ellen initially blamed her ADD on her “talk show,” explaining she was accustomed to speaking to people in “five-minute segments” and often needed a break if a conversation at another event lasted longer.
“You know, and I'm happy to just not be a brand or a boss or a billboard, just a person, just a multifaceted person with different feelings and emotions,” she said. “I can be happy and sad and compassionate and frustrated and have OCD and ADD.”
She wrapped up her set by noting she was proud of who she's become, despite the "devastating" rumors of her being "mean."
“It consumed me for years,” the actress said. “And with time you gain perspective, that's one good thing about aging.”
The Finding Nemo star announced Ellen’s Last Stand … Up, a 27-show North American run that started in May, and teased that it would be the “final opportunity” to see her during her “last curtain call.”
“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.”
The comedian returned to perform stand-up years after announcing her decision to end her talk show in May 2021, following 19 seasons on air.
The decision followed a BuzzFeed News report that was published in July 2020, in which current and former employees recounted negative experiences on set, including being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions, and a fear of retribution for raising complaints.
“I really didn’t understand it; I still don’t understand it,” the Louisiana native said during an appearance on the Today show in May 2021. “It was too orchestrated; it was too coordinated.”
Ellen expressed regret over the situation, saying she “wished” someone had come to her and said, “Hey, there’s something you need to be aware of.”
“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,” she concluded.
