Ellen DeGeneres jokes about being 'most hated person in America' during stand-up show

Ellen DeGeneres joked about becoming the "most hated person in America" due to toxic workplace allegations during her recent stand-up show.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show host's popularity took a hit in July 2020 when several current and former employees on the talk show alleged they worked in a toxic environment in a BuzzFeed report.

DeGeneres, who has laid low ever since the show ended after 19 years in May 2022, returned to the spotlight with her new comedy show at the Largo in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Referencing the headlines during her set, the comedian joked that she got "kicked out of show business" for being "mean" and became the "most hated person in America".

"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 recalled, noting how it damaged her reputation, reports People.

During a post-routine Q&A, the 66-year-old admitted she stayed at home and laid low after becoming "persona non grata" for the second time since coming out as gay on her TV show Ellen in 1997.

DeGeneres candidly shared that the controversy hit her "hard" and put her "in a funk" that also affected her wife Portia de Rossi.

"I'm making jokes about what happened to me, but it was devastating," she confessed. "It took a long time for me to want to do anything again."

The Finding Nemo star also admitted that she loved her show "so much" and "hated" that came to an end amid a cloud of negativity.

DeGeneres issued an apology to staff and her viewers over the report at the time. Following an internal investigation, three top producers were let go from the show.