Ellen DeGeneres is addressing her controversial fall from grace in a bold new way — through comedy. In the first trailer for her upcoming Netflix stand-up special, For Your Approval, Ellen takes aim at the backlash that saw her exiled from Hollywood after her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was hit with allegations of fostering a toxic workplace.
In the trailer released on Wednesday, Ellen candidly jokes about her once-famous catchphrase, “Be Kind to One Another.” She quips that it should have been “Go F*** Yourselves” instead, so people would have been pleasantly surprised to find out she was nice. The former daytime host reflects on her struggles with confidence and her efforts to please everyone during her show’s run, saying, “I thought, if I could make people happy, they’ll like me. And if they like me, I’ll feel good about myself… And all I can say about that is, thank god for the money!”
The special marks Ellen’s first major return to comedy since her talk show ended in May 2022, after 19 seasons. At the time, Ellen claimed the decision to end her show was not influenced by the toxic workplace allegations, stating instead that it was “just not a challenge anymore.”
According to Netflix, For Your Approval is expected to be Ellen’s final stand-up special, with the comedian taking a personal and raw approach as she reflects on her career, her reputation, and being “kicked out of show business.” Despite the hardships, Ellen’s new material makes it clear she is no longer seeking public approval.
After stepping back from the spotlight, Ellen has focused on her home life with her wife Portia de Rossi. She resumed touring this summer, where she told an audience in Santa Rosa, California, that she is “done” with comedy once this special concludes.
