Ellen: Inside Her Meltdown
With her personal and professional life a mess, Ellen Degeneres struggles to keep it together
It should have been the best summer of her life. Ellen Degeneres celebrated the release — and success — of her critically acclaimed film Finding Dory. She added a whopping $9.9 million to her bank account with the sale of her Hollywood Hills ranch. And she and wife Portia de Rossi, 43, celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary, marking the day with a touching Twitter post. “Ellen should be on top of the world right now,” says a source. “Her life seems absolutely perfect.”
But it’s far from it. “These last few months have been awful for Ellen. She’s miserable and upset about her career and her home life,” an insider exclusively tells In Touch. “Not only have decisions been made about her show without her consent, but she and Portia have been fighting nonstop.” It has pushed the daytime talk show host, 58, to the edge. “In public she tries to bury the pain and put on a happy face,” adds the source, “but in private she’s an absolute mess. Ellen is having a fullon meltdown.”
And it’s only going to get worse. “Ellen no lon- ger has the verve or the spirit for her afternoon talk program,” the source says. (Season 14 of The Ellen Degeneres Show kicks off on Sept. 6.) There are other projects she wants to pursue. “She desperately wants this to be the final season [of her show]. She dreads the idea of a season 14, let alone 15. But the show was renewed through 2020, so she’s trapped.”
The fact that she’s at war with her crew only makes things worse. Ellen’s not happy with some changes that producers suggested — a few new skits and comedy routines, says the insider. Her reaction? “She got angry, raised her voice and stormed off to her dressing room. Pro- ducers chased her down, but Ellen just reamed them out. When she’s miserable, she makes sure everyone around her is, too.”
Including Portia. “She and Ellen have been fighting all summer, not only about the idea of starting a family but Portia’s career,” says the insider, explaining that jealous Ellen hates when Portia goes on auditions — and, adds the source, absolutely despises her role on ABC’S Scandal. “Ellen has all the money in the world and wants Por- tia to stop working so they can travel and spend more time together,” says the insider. “They just aren’t on the same long-term path. It’s a constant battle.”
A battle that irks Ellen to no end. “She used to say she was the most fortunate person in the world, doing a job that she loves with a woman she loves. But all that has changed,” says the source. “She’s tired and in such a dark, emotional state.” ◼