Ellen DeGeneres found herself being targeted by cancel culture for months over the summer as dozens of current and former employees accused her of being rude behind the scenes. They also accused her of turning a blind eye to racism, intimidation, and even sexual misconduct on the set of her eponymous talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Just when it seemed like DeGeneres had weathered that storm and was starting to win back her fans, she has been hit with yet another allegation of negative behavior.
Dawn Lutrell, who previously made a living as a DeGeneres lookalike, came forward this week to say that she was left “heartbroken” after the host viciously made fun of her during a segment of her talk show in 2018.
DeGeneres Mocks Lookalike
Lutrell told The Telegraph that her agent had posted an audition tape of hers online that year. DeGeneres then ran the audition on her show without contacting Lutrell, saying she had found it herself “on the internet.”
“I was searching how to remove red wine stains from a People’s Choice award, and I’m scrolling and minding my own business and an ad popped up,” DeGeneres said. “I came across a me impersonator, I didn’t know I had one but here she is. What do you think does she look like me?”
“I can see the hair is similar, I guess so,” DeGeneres said condescendingly before playing Luttrell’s audition tape. Afterwards, she tore into the accuracy of Lutrell’s impersonation of her.
DeGeneres specifically took issue with the impersonator frequently using her old catchphrase “ka ka.”
“I haven’t done ‘ka ka’ for… like I did it for the first two years. Does anyone remember that I used to go ‘ka ka,'” the host said. “That’s like a 10-year-old impression, she’s got to update it.”
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Lutrell Left ‘Heartbroken’
This naturally came as a shock to Lutrell, who had absolutely no idea she was going to be on national television before the show aired.
“I had somebody call me and say, ‘You do realize you’re on ‘The Ellen Show’ right now?’” Lutrell said. “And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’”
Lutrell said she was left “heartbroken” after watching the show, saying that DeGeneres’ was “very, very bullying, very mean spirited.”
She went on to say that her mental health plummeted after the segment aired, prompting her to get therapy.
When DeGeneres’ toxic workplace scandal broke over the summer, Lutrell was not surprised.
“Ellen’s kind of mean-spirited and a bully,” she said.
RELATED: ‘Toxic’ Ellen DeGeneres Accused Of ‘Torturing’ Her Household Staff
DeGeneres Apologizes To Fans
DeGeneres apologized for the toxic workplace scandal during the premiere of the latest season of her show last month.
“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation,” she said.
“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected,” DeGeneres added. “I know that I am in a position of privilege and power and I realise that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”
How many more claims will come out about her negative behavior?
She may have thought she was out of the woods with this whole thing, but it seems that DeGeneres may still find herself being “cancelled” after all.
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