Megyn Kelly has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding Ellen DeGeneres’ alleged off-camera conduct with a pointed critique. During a segment on The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly criticized DeGeneres not only for her recent comments on political issues but also revisited allegations of unprofessional behavior during DeGeneres’ time as a daytime television host. Kelly accused DeGeneres of hypocrisy and ideological myopia, further claiming insider knowledge about the workplace environment on DeGeneres’ show, specifically alleging that producers were instructed not to make eye contact with DeGeneres in the hallways.

Kelly’s sharp remarks were triggered by a video posted by DeGeneres supporting anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis. Kelly argued that the same alleged toxic behavior that reportedly led to problems on DeGeneres’ show is now reflected in her political stances. Introducing her monologue with a sarcastic tone, Kelly questioned the relevance of DeGeneres’ opinions, especially since DeGeneres is currently residing in the UK. “Ellen DeGeneres felt the need to weigh in,” Kelly began, derisively questioning why DeGeneres’ views should matter to the American public. “I know you, like me, have been wondering—what would Ellen think of all this?” she added, highlighting DeGeneres’ detachment from the current American social climate.

In her critique, Kelly revisited the circumstances that led to the end of DeGeneres’ celebrated television show, attributing its cancellation to DeGeneres’ alleged bullying. “Let’s not forget why Ellen lost her daytime show,” Kelly asserted. “It’s because she was a bully.” Kelly further claimed that DeGeneres imposed strict and demeaning conditions on her staff, citing a source she trusts who claimed employees were forbidden from making eye contact with DeGeneres in the hallway. This accusation was part of a broader critique of DeGeneres’ recent social media activity concerning unrest in Minneapolis, following the fatal shooting of a protester during demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement agents.

‘And so it’s no surprise that Ellen DeGeneres is totally fine with what these so-called protesters, terrorists are doing in the streets of Minneapolis. It’s no surprise whatsoever,’ Kelly continued. ‘And when she says, I’m very sorry for any protesters getting hurt, she of course, is talking about Renee Good. And I’m sure, just like most leftists, she’s been fed the same lies we’ve heard from CNN now from the beginning, and she’s chosen to believe them because she’s ignorant and it’s willful, it’s not blind ignorance, it’s willful ignorance. It suits her ideological purposes. Shame on her. Enjoy England. ‘I’m sorry that our friends across the pond are stuck with Ellen, but let’s face it, they gave us Harry and Meghan, so they deserve it,’ Kelly said. 

Kelly’s rant was triggered by a video posted on Sunday by DeGeneres,the gaunt-looking 67-year-old former host criticized US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and expressed solidarity with protesters in Minneapolis. DeGeneres offered her two cents about the turmoil in the city in a roughly minute-long clip that appeared to be filmed inside her $19 million UK mansion. In the video, DeGeneres criticized US Immigration and Customs Enforcement while praising demonstrators she said had ‘been hurt just for protesting.’ 

The remarks appeared to reference 37-year-old Renee Good (pictured), a Minneapolis woman who was fatally shot by an ICE agent at a protest on January 7. The incident remains under investigation. Earlier in the day, DeGeneres had posted a message honoring Good, writing in a caption: ‘I’m so sad, and so angry, and so worried.’ In the subsequent video, DeGeneres appeared emotional as she addressed the situation directly. ‘Hey everybody I just wanted to say I am so sorry for what is happening in Minneapolis, and our country, really,’ she said. ‘But specifically Minneapolis right now, because it’s where I shot my last stand up special. And everybody there couldn’t have been more lovely.’

She continued: ‘I shot it there because they said it’s the happiest city in America, and I found that to be true.’ ‘So my thoughts and my prayers are going out to everyone, and I’m proud of everyone who’s protesting peacefully, and I am sorry for anyone who has been hurt just for protesting, for doing what you should be doing,’ DeGeneres added. ‘Anyway, just sending love.’ An accompanying caption declared simply: ‘I love you,’ addressed to the city of Minneapolis. DeGeneres left the United States with her longtime wife, Portia de Rossi, in late 2024, shortly after Donald Trump’s election victory.

The couple have since made a lavish seven-bedroom estate in the Cotswolds their primary residence, though reports late last year suggested the British weather may have driven them back to California temporarily, where they were spotted shopping over Christmas. The Ellen DeGeneres Show ran from 2003 until 2022 and was canceled after allegations of a toxic workplace culture erupted publicly in 2020. Former staffers told BuzzFeed that year that they had been fired for taking bereavement leave and for taking sick leave following a suicide attempt, triggering a flood of similar claims on social media. Three top producers were ultimately fired amid accusations that they had maintained a ‘choke hold’ on staff complaints and prevented them from being escalated.

DeGeneres addressed the controversy after the show’s cancellation in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, saying: ‘I think that I learned a lot, and there were some things that came up that I was shocked and surprised by. It was eye-opening, but I just trust that that had to happen.’ Her final stand-up special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, was filmed in Minneapolis two years later – just months before Trump’s win. The unrest in Minneapolis traces back to a December YouTube video by conservative commentator Nick Shirley, who claimed to have uncovered a $100 million fraud scheme involving Somali child-care centers. As the allegations gained traction, federal authorities deployed hundreds of ICE agents to Minnesota as part of an immigration crackdown. Good was shot three times while sitting in the driver’s seat of her car during a protest against that deployment.