Rosie O’Donnellis weighing in onEllen DeGeneres' exit from her daytime talk show.
During an appearance on Sirius XM’sThe Jess Cagle Showon Wednesday, O’Donnell said that she thought the situation surrounding DeGeneres' departure was more “complicated” than people may think.
“I have an understanding of the cycle of show business, and kind of what happens in people’s careers, and when enough is enough,” O’Donnell said. “Oftentimes people don’t know that. I think I have a good balance of both in my life, of the importance of both. And it’s hard to maintain. It’s hard to do, especially when you’re doing a show like that.”
The topic came up after Cagle made a comparison between the two comedians, who have both been successful hosting their own daytime shows.
Looking back on it, O’Donnell admitted the label “bit her in the ass” but says that the situation with DeGeneres is different.
“I don’t think it was the ‘be kind’ thing that got her. I think that’s oversimplification,” O’Donnell said. “But it was a lot of things, and it was complicated, and I’m glad that she’s, you know, going to be finished and she can get some time to herself.”
“It’s a huge kind of strange thing to be on a show like that, and have all that attention on you,” O’Donnell said. “And she had it for like 19 years. So, you know, it’s a tough thing.”
In May, DeGeneres, 63, announced her talk show,TheEllen DeGeneresShow, willend after its 19th season.
Allegations of a toxic workplace became public in July 2020, whenBuzzFeed Newspublished a reportin which current and former staffers spoke anonymously about their experiences on set, which included claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions and fear of retribution for raising complaints.
DeGeneresapologized to her staffat the time, and three top producers — Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman — subsequently parted ways with the show. Staffers on the show alsoreceived increased benefits.
“As great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore,” the host toldTHR.
A week after her announcement, ashow source told PEOPLEthat DeGeneres is “confident” in her decision.
Ellen DeGeneres.Gregg DeGuire/Getty
“It’s sad that the show ends like this, but Ellen seems confident that she made the right decision,” the insider said, adding: “After the toxic workplace allegations, the question was more when will [the show] end and not if it will end.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The source also said that DeGeneres' exit was not a surprise: “She was almost out the door before the controversy. She’s been talking about leaving for a few years now, but that was definitely the last straw.”
Kelly Clarksonwill be taking over for DeGeneres time slot followingThe Ellen DeGeneres Show’s19th and final seasonnext year. The singer’s titular NBC series,TheKelly ClarksonShow,will move into DeGeneres' time slot in 2022.
source: people.com
