The Most Awkward Moments Between Ellen DeGeneres and Her Show’s Guests

Ellen DeGeneres promotes a “be kind” mantra on The Ellen Show, but recent reports have suggested that the outside message doesn’t match up with what goes on behind the scenes. Following a Buzzfeed article last month about the toxic workplace culture at DeGeneres’ show, an investigation has been launched into The Ellen Show and more stories have emerged about the host and her long-running program.

DeGeneres’ show has relied on celebrities for years, having new guests on each episode to promote their work, play games and join DeGeneres in stunts and segments. But it’s not all fun and games — more than once, the show has shifted from light and comical to awkward and tense. Brad Garrett, a comedian and Everybody Loves Raymond star, even weighed in on DeGeneres last week, claiming to know “more than one” person “treated horribly” by her.

Although Garret hasn’t been on DeGeneres’ show, there are plenty of celebrities who have had some uncomfortable interactions on air with the host. We’ve rounded up a list of some of the most memorable moments between DeGeneres and her guests on The Ellen Show over the years.

CELINE DION

DeGeneres learned the hard way that you don’t joke about Celine Dion‘s kids. When the Canadian singer was a guest on The Ellen Show back in 2007, DeGeneres poked fun at her son’s hair, asking when she was going to cut it. “You know I have to say, it’s amazing, right, some people shave the head of their children and some people say, ‘Oh, isn’t that terrible,’ well, I don’t even cut my son’s hair and they say, ‘Oh, when is she going to cut her son’s hair?'” an exasperated Dion said. “Whatever I will do, I won’t please everyone.”

Dion explained that she left the decision up to her son. “Renee Charles makes his own decisions, most of the time,” she said. “When he’s ready, I’ll cut it.”

TAYLOR SWIFT

DeGeneres set up a game to mock Taylor Swift‘s dating history when the singer appeared on her show in 2012. While Swift was there to promote her new album, DeGeneres repeatedly claimed that she was in a relationship with Zac Efron, while Swift shut down the idea each and every time. But the segment got more cringe-worthy — DeGeneres put photos of Swift and different men up on screen, instructing the singer to ring a bell when someone she wrote a song about appeared in a photo.

“Do you know how bad this makes me feel?” Swift asked on the third photo, which showed her and Danny DeVito, but DeGeneres pushed on. When Swift cried, “Stop it, stop it, stop!” the segment finally came to and end. “This makes me feel so bad about myself, every time I come up here you put a different dude up there on the screen and it just makes me really question like, what I stand for as a human being,” Swift said. So much for DeGeneres’ game.

KATY PERRY

Although Katy Perry had been on the Ellen Show multiple times before, DeGeneres forgot her guest had been married and set up an entire game about finding Perry a husband. “Do I have to get married again?” Perry asked at the start of the segment, but DeGeneres didn’t catch on. “You aren’t married,” she said, but Perry corrected her, reminding DeGeneres that she got married when she was 25, which still didn’t jog the talk show host’s memory. “To who?” DeGeneres asked, and Perry told her she had been married to Russell Brand. “Remember you gave me wedding gifts on this show?” Perry asked, adding, “Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.” Clearly, it wasn’t.

WANDA SYKES

When comedian Wanda Sykes stopped by The Ellen Show, she brought a prop with her. Sykes roasted DeGeneres for her “tour,” telling the host, “you toured for your special,” using air-quotes. When DeGeneres tried to deny that she toured, Sykes revealed the “tour jacket” that DeGeneres gifted her. “It wasn’t a tour,” DeGeneres said, but sure enough, it says “Relatable Tour” on the back of Sykes’ jacket.

As if the situation weren’t awkward enough with DeGeneres’ denial and Sykes’ insistence, the Ellen Show guest continued, pointing out the four cities on the “tour,” three of which were in California, where DeGeneres lives. In her defense, DeGeneres claimed to be “very busy.”

MICHELLE OBAMA

DeGeneres took former first lady Michelle Obama to CVS in 2016, but the outing devolved from a light-hearted segment to a tense trip. After putting up with DeGeneres’ antics in the crowded store — which included dumping products on the floor and eating food without paying for it — Obama seemed to hit her limit when DeGeneres asked about putting her own face on money.

“You’d have to have done something grand like Harriet Tubman,” Obama said when DeGeneres asked why she can’t be on a dollar bill. When DeGeneres said she “makes the world happy every day,” it wasn’t enough for Obama. “You should have freed some slaves,” she said, later adding, “you know, you’re really annoying. It’s like taking a three-year-old to the store.”

HASAN MINHAJ

When DeGeneres welcomed comedian and Patriot Act host Hasan Minhaj onto her show in 2019, she tried to tell him how to pronounce his own name. Right when Minhaj sat down, DeGeneres claimed to be a “huge fan,” but she did little to prove it. When DeGeneres told her guest, “It’s Hasan Minhaj,” mispronouncing his name, he tried to stop her by saying no, but the host wouldn’t back down. “Yes,” she said. Minhaj tried again, repeating “no,” and pronouncing his name correctly.

Minhaj kept his cool and used the moment to educate the audience, explaining that it was a big deal because his parents were in the studio watching. After repeating the correct pronunciation multiple times, he asked DeGeneres to give it a try, but she butchered it again. “I’m not going to change my name,” the comedian said. “If you can pronounce Ansel Elgort, you can pronounce Hasan Minhaj.”

DAKOTA JOHNSON

Of course, we had to save the best for last. In a moment that has gone down in history, Dakota Johnson called out DeGeneres after the host claimed she wasn’t invited to her 30th birthday party. “How was the party?” DeGeneres asked the actress. “I wasn’t invited.” But Johnson had a different version of events. “Actually, no, that’s not the truth, Ellen, you were invited,” she replied. Johnson dipped back in history, recalling that DeGeneres grilled her again the year before about not getting a birthday invite.

“You gave me a bunch of shit about not inviting you, but I didn’t even know you wanted to be invited,” Johnson said, adding, “I didn’t even know if you liked me.” It only got more awkward from there, with DeGeneres jumping to defend herself by saying, “Of course I like you, you knew I liked you.” Johnson’s reply? Silence.

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