Ellen DeGeneres released a video that purported to express solidarity with Minneapolis but instead repeatedly circled back to herself and her career.
According to the Daily Caller, the comedian and former daytime talk show host appeared on camera in a striped T-shirt to address the anti-ICE demonstrations that erupted after the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent. Before she spoke about the unrest, however, she made sure to remind viewers of her own professional history in the city, turning what could have been a sober reflection into a self-referential performance.
Rather than dwelling on the loss of life and the serious questions surrounding federal enforcement, DeGeneres foregrounded her personal connection to Minneapolis: her stand-up special. I just wanted to say I am so sorry for what is happening in Minneapolis, and our country, really but specifically Minneapolis right now, because its where I shot my last stand-up special, she told viewers, as though the tragedys relevance hinged on her rsum.
Her remarks landed with particular dissonance given the protests that have roiled the city and the heightened tensions over immigration enforcement and public safety. At a moment when many Americans are demanding accountability and order, her message came across less as a sober acknowledgment of the stakes and more as a celebritys attempt to stay culturally relevant.
DeGeneres appeared fixated on revisiting her professional milestones rather than the facts on the ground. What might have been a straightforward expression of sympathy instead sounded like a tone-deaf monologue delivered from the comfort of distance and privilege.
The very decision to highlight her comedy special and to present it as the reason Minneapolis matters to her struck many as staggering. At a time when residents are grappling with violence, unrest, and the consequences of federal action, her comments felt more like a carefully branded moment than a heartfelt response.
The episode reflects a broader fatigue with entertainers who confuse fame with moral authority and visibility with insight. Their statements often mimic the language of compassion, yet they ring hollow when set against the real-world turmoil faced by ordinary citizens who lack the luxury of retreating from the consequences of policy and disorder.
DeGeneres pressed on with her narrative about the city, adding, everybody there couldnt have been more lovely I shot it there because they say its the happiest city in America, and I found that to be true. She then shifted into familiar celebrity tropes, saying, So my thoughts and my prayers are going out to everyone, and Im proud of everyone who is protesting peacefully, and I am sorry for anyone who has been hurt just for protesting, for doing what you should be doing. Anyway, I ah am just sending love.
Her video, released from afar after she relocated from California to England in 2024, underscores how detached much of Hollywood has become from the communities they claim to champion. While Americans wrestle with questions of law enforcement, border security, and public order that President Trump and many conservatives have long prioritized, DeGeneres response exemplifies a progressive celebrity culture more interested in self-branding than in grappling with the hard realities facing the country.
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