Former Bodyguard Reveals Ellen DeGeneres Is Nothing Like She Seems
As the coronavirus pandemic leaves America's workforce in limbo, comedian Ellen DeGeneres has come under fire for allegedly mistreating her crew in these uncertain times. According to Variety, more than 30 of The Ellen DeGeneres Show's employees are "outraged over their treatment from top producers," as they claim they have been kept in the dark regarding their pay, hours, and "inquiries about their mental and physical health" for more than a month.
Now, as more people claim that DeGeneres is nothing like she seems, her former bodyguard has stepped up to reveal that "she's cold" and "demeaning." "Ellen is the one person that I've been assigned to—and I've been assigned to quite a few celebrities—that has never taken the time to say hi to me," Tom Majercak told Fox News.
Majercak had been assigned to escort DeGeneres and wife Portia De Rossi at the 2014 Oscars, and although De Rossi was "very pleasant and carried on a conversation," everything went south when she introduced him to DeGeneres.
"It started going negatively when [De Rossi] introduced me to Ellen and Ellen pretty much just gave me a side glance out of her eye and didn't even say 'hello' or 'thank you for protecting my mother, my wife and me.'" He added that "it was very cold and it was very sly and it was actually kind of demeaning."
And now, as the talk show host faces backlash from her crew, Majercak knew it was time to speak up.
Ellen DeGeneres' ex-bodyguard wants people to see the comedian's 'true self'
With Ellen DeGeneres now at the mercy of her staff's complaints, former bodyguard Tom Majercak knew this was his chance to share an experience that's "bugged" him for years.
"I see this person come across as being very enlightened and positive and awesome and everybody loves her and is in awe and that's really not the case when you meet her in person," Majercak told Fox News. "When you see her on TV, people fall in love with her but it is a false facade and bravado. You start hearing these stories and I was like, 'Man, there's got to be more to this.' She's not the person she portrays to be that she's playing off of society. That's my opinion."
Furthermore, Majercak claimed that DeGeneres "doesn't care about anybody else as long as she's getting what she wants." He added, "People are starting to see her true self and that really lends to the support of what my initial thoughts of her have been over the last six years."
While Majercak understands that he probably received the brunt of DeGeneres' frustration, as she hosted the Oscars that year, he noted that's "no excuse" for how she treated him. And while we cannot agree with one group over another, a pattern has seemingly begun to reveal itself. DeGeneres will ultimately have to answer to these accusations in the weeks ahead.
The public has a range of reactions to the bodyguard's accusations
Tom Majercak's claims about how he was treated by Ellen DeGeneres while acting as her bodyguard didn't seem to cast the star in the best light. Despite that, there were plenty of mixed reactions to what could be seen as an example of bad behavior or, frankly, totally normal actions by someone who just happens to be famous.
"Ellen has done a lot of good. However, she does a lot of mean passive-aggressive stuff that just rubs me the wrong way (like the way she enjoys frightening her guests and even her own staff)," one unimpressed Twitter user wrote in response to Majercak's accusations. However, not everyone thought that the talk show host was in the wrong. "He's [crying] because she did not speak to him," another person tweeted. "Why do people expect her to be like she is on her show 24hrs a day. She's human. Damn." Someone else agreed, writing, "He's paid to protect her, not be her bestie."
Whether DeGeneres' actions were acceptable or not, some people simply weren't surprised, as one person tweeted, "Everyone knows she's a wolf in sheep's clothing."
This comes after Ellen DeGeneres was apparently cold to a beloved YouTuber
When Tom Majercak accused Ellen DeGeneres of being less than friendly during their encounter, his claim came not long after she faced accusations of being cold to one of the cheeriest YouTube stars around: NikkieTutorials.
The popular online makeup guru, whose real name is Nikkie de Jager, opened up about appearing on The Ellen Show after coming out as transgender. While chatting with the Dutch show De Wereld Draait Door (via E! News), Nikkie admitted the American host "wasn't as nice" as others she's met in the industry. When she was then asked if DeGeneres was "distant and cold," the YouTuber confirmed that, saying, "Just a little... It was a huge honor to be on that stage with Ellen, but it wasn't as nice as I thought."
Nikkie also told &C (also via E! News) that she may have been "naive" when going into the experience, explaining that she "kind of expected to be welcomed with confetti cannons: 'Welcome to The Ellen DeGeneres Show!' But instead [she] was greeted by an angry intern who was a bit overworked." She added, "I was expecting a Disney show, but got Teletubbies after dark." Yikes!
It sounds like DeGeneres may need to work on her people skills if she wants these kinds of stories to stop popping up.