Ellen DeGeneres addresses aftermath of toxic workplace claims

(EW) – Ellen DeGeneres might be able to joke now about the events that led to the end of her talk show, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t take an emotional toll on her. 

The comedian reflected on her experience getting “kicked out of show business” for being “mean” during her latest stand-up comedy gig, at the Largo in Los Angeles on Wednesday, reports PEOPLE.

She made her cracks in reference to a 2020 BuzzFeed News report in which several Ellen DeGeneres Show staffers anonymously came forward with toxic workplace environment claims, saying they’d experienced racial microaggressions and were punished for taking medical or bereavement leave while employed by the talk show.

“The hate went on for a long time, and I would try to avoid looking at the news,” she told the crowd, multiple outlets report. “The ‘be kind’ girl wasn’t kind. That was the headline.”