Ellen Degeneres and Her Success

Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most iconic and progressive women in Hollywood. In 2019, her net worth was around 450 million and is likely to grow as she becomes more popular and grows her industry (Biography, 2019). Ellen became known world-wide when she hit off as a stand-up comedian before starring on her own television show, Ellen. She is also globally recognised for coming out as gay publicly and being an advocate for LGBTQ rights. Ellen’s success has led her to be the host of her own award-winning talk show since 2003 and on a more personal note, married her long-time girlfriend Portia de Rossi in 2008.

However, her global success has not come easy and has come from years of pain and struggle in all aspects of her life. She had been sexually abused by her stepfather, telling audiences her mother was diagnosed with cancer and her stepfather insisted on examining her breasts for lumps. This left Ellen to struggle through her childhood but gave her resilience to tackle the bad times and make a name for herself.

After finding out she had a talent for stand-up comedy, she received roles in films and television shows. However, she faced strong criticism when she came out as gay, which jeopardised her success in her current roles. She was let go by several producers and received major criticism for the roles which she continued to do. After acknowledging her homosexuality on air, an ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama refused to air the landmark episode, as they were afraid of controversy and they withdrew advertisements. Subjected to years of hate and being made fun of Ellen speaks out on the Dax Shephard Armchair Expert Podcast in 2018, recalling the humiliating feeling of being subjected to late-night talk show jokes, rejecting the evidence that she was an LGBTQ leader purely because she didn’t want to keep this secret anymore. However, there was a window of relief when several episodes following her public announcement had gay themes. They were severally criticised, yet they also received rounds of applause from activist and fans, including her mother, Betty DeGeneres.

After years of hate and criticism, Ellen was persistent and resilient, and her unique combination of her kind and funny personality outshone the focus on her sexuality. Her uniqueness made her a world-wide success which resulted in her show Ellen, becoming a big hit with daytime viewers and winning the show an Emmy and People’s Choice Awards. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama for her contribution to the arts. She believes the adversity and criticism she faced fuelled her desire to succeed. Now she is a passionate activist, a loved television host world-wide and just a humble, giving, strong woman in general.