Fifteen years later, Adam Carolla still remembers the tension backstage at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. According to the comedian, the mood wasn’t just stiff — it was downright fearful.
Carolla Recalls Nervous Staff, Strict Rules Before Going On-Air
During a candid chat on “After Party with Emily Jashinsky,” Carolla described the atmosphere behind the scenes of Ellen DeGeneres’ popular daytime show as far from cheerful.
He says before his segment, a visibly nervous segment producer approached him to confirm — not once, but twice — that he wouldn’t mention eating meat during his conversation with DeGeneres, who was a vocal vegan at the time.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s scared to death. This guy’s scared,’” Carolla recalled. The producer returned again just before he went on stage to reiterate, “Don’t talk about beef or meat or any[thing].”
That kind of micro-management left a lasting impression. Carolla, known for his outspoken style, said it stood in sharp contrast to his experiences on shows hosted by Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, where the tone backstage was relaxed and welcoming.
Fear Behind the Curtain: “They Were Cowering”
Carolla didn’t mince words describing the vibe backstage. He claimed staffers weren’t just anxious — they were outright intimidated.
“Ellen’s show, people were scared — real scared,” he said, comparing it to the atmosphere around David Letterman’s staff, which he also described as tense but for different reasons.
The alleged fear didn’t come from Ellen yelling or mistreating him directly. It was the behavior of her crew that tipped him off.
“She’s not gonna be mean to me, I’m a guest on the show, right? I wouldn’t know it from my exchanges. I would know it from how her staff was cowering,” he said bluntly.
Carolla even went so far as to say that fear is often the clearest sign of someone’s meanness — even if they wear a smile on camera.
“Worse Than Rosie”: Insider Allegations Add Fuel to the Fire
Later in the same interview, Carolla mentioned speaking with a comedy writer who had worked for both Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell — another TV personality known for a prickly off-camera reputation.
Carolla said the writer, who signed a non-disclosure agreement, offered a scathing review of DeGeneres.
“I just went, ‘How’s Ellen?’ And he said, ‘Worst person — not worst person I’ve worked for, worst person I’ve ever met,’” Carolla recalled.
He stopped short of naming the individual, citing the NDA, but emphasized how serious the comment was, noting the writer had also dealt with other high-profile hosts.
“She’s not a nice person at all,” Carolla added, echoing prior claims from former employees about the daytime host’s alleged workplace conduct.
DeGeneres Addressed “Mean” Label in Netflix Special
The claims come nearly four years after Ellen DeGeneres ended her long-running talk show following a cascade of allegations about a toxic work environment. At the time, multiple former employees accused top producers of misconduct, and others described DeGeneres herself as cold and unapproachable.
In her 2024 Netflix stand-up special For Your Approval, DeGeneres finally broke her silence on the controversy. She admitted the backlash “consumed” her for a while.
“I’ve spent an entire lifetime trying to make people happy and I’ve cared far too much what other people think of me,” she said during the set.
She then delivered a line that summed up her new perspective:
“After a lifetime of caring, I just can’t anymore. So I don’t.”
Another short one-liner to break the tempo.
Despite that attempt at closure, stories like Carolla’s keep resurfacing. Whether it’s from comedians, former employees, or unnamed insiders, the image of Ellen as America’s “be kind” icon continues to clash with the narratives that emerge from those who worked with her.
A Long List of Past Allegations Shadows DeGeneres’ Legacy
Carolla’s interview adds to a growing pile of anecdotes that point to a deeper behind-the-scenes culture of discomfort during DeGeneres’ reign on daytime TV.
From BuzzFeed’s 2020 exposé to various celebrity interviews where guests described feeling uncomfortable or restricted, the narrative has shifted hard from the early 2010s, when DeGeneres was praised as a groundbreaking figure in television.
A quick pause.
Critics argue that her on-screen persona was worlds apart from the private experience of being backstage — particularly for junior staff.
Here’s a snapshot of key controversies that have dogged DeGeneres since 2020:
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2020: BuzzFeed publishes employee claims of toxic work culture.
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2021: DeGeneres announces the end of her show, citing a need for “new challenges.”
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2022-2023: Multiple comedians and staffers hint at more disturbing stories.
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2024: DeGeneres addresses backlash in her Netflix special.
She’s since moved to England with her wife Portia de Rossi, distancing herself from the U.S. spotlight following Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024.
Publicist silence has become a pattern. DeGeneres’ reps did not respond to Page Six’s latest request for comment on Carolla’s remarks — just as they often declined during previous flare-ups.
