Ellen DeGeneres Reflects on Being Criticized by Elton John After She Came Out

Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on coming out on her sitcom, Ellen, and the fallout and criticism that resulted from her historic move.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show host spoke to Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast, published on Wednesday (March 14).

Along with opening up about her former girlfriend’s tragic death, Ellen also spoke about coming out on Ellen.

“[It ended] because I came out. They really didn’t want me to come out … they finally let me come out and it was a huge success the night of. It was celebrated … then they just stopped promoting it because they were scared,” she explained.

She also discussed the criticism she faced afterward, including a jab from Elton John.

“Even Elton John said, ‘Shut up already. We know you’re gay. Be funny.’ I had never met him and I thought, ‘What kind of support is that from a gay person?’”

Listen to the full episode below.