Amid controversy, DeGeneres befriends Berkeley cancer patient
This summer, as Ellen DeGeneres confronted allegations that she oversees a toxic workplace, the embattled talk show host made a phone call to Berkeley cancer patient Julia Lippman to give her a pep talk.
It turned out to be an uplifting moment for both women.
Lippman, 21, learned she has terminal mitochondrial disease five years ago, and topping her bucket list was a desire to meet DeGeneres. Not only did DeGeneres end up chatting with Lippman via Zoom, but she and her executive producer, Andy Lassner, also traveled to Berkeley to meet her in person.
During Tuesday’s edition of “Ellen,” which featured a segment on Lippman, DeGeneres recalled that initial chat.
“I think we came into each others’ lives at exactly the right time,” she told Lippman via Zoom.
Without mentioning her public relations issues, DeGeneres said, “It was amazing because I called to cheer you up and you ended up cheering me up. You (told) me to keep fighting and I’m like well, ‘ You keep fighting. We’ll both keep fighting.’ It was just this beautiful conversation we had.”
Lippman acknowledged that she was “having a terrible morning” when the call came.
“You were going through stuff and I had just started hospice,” she remembered. “… It really did feel like just the right moment.”
During the “Ellen” segment, DeGeneres described Lippman as “kind” and “inspiring.”
“And I am lucky enough to call her my friend,” she added.
Viewers were treated to footage of Ellen’s Berkeley visit, during which she patched Lippman into cellphone calls with pop stars Meghan Trainor and Demi Lovato, and hung out on the couch.
The segment ended with DeGeneres announcing that she would be sending — courtesy of the Redwood City-based Shutterfly — a $50,000 check to Lippman’s family to help cover some medical expenses.
Lippman is afflicted with a rare genetic disorder that prevents her body from producing enough energy to function properly.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” she said.