Ellen DeGeneres was torn apart by her former protégée, entertainer Greyson Chance, as “manipulative,” “selfish,” and “obviously opportunistic.”
Chance, 25, spoke to . on Thursday rolling stone on his relationship with the talk show host, 64, who he first crossed paths with after being featured in a viral video showing the Lady Gaga hit Paparazzi, who appeared on her show in May 2010 at the age of 12.
The Oklahoma-born performer said he was overwhelmed when DeGeneres wanted to include him on her program.
Bombshell: Ellen DeGeneres, 64, has been labeled ‘manipulative’, ‘selfish’ and ‘obviously opportunistic’ by her former protégée Greyson Chance (in 2020)
“We just couldn’t believe what was happening,” Chance said. “We were so unsure of what we were getting into, and the person who helped clear all that skepticism and chaotic energy was Ellen.”
Chance said DeGeneres swore she would “protect” him and be there for him, saying, “We’re going to do this together.”
DeGeneres then created a label called elfeleven in partnership with Interscope Geffen A&M Records, inking Chance and putting him in touch with executives, bookers and a publicist.
Chance said that when he released a mini-EP in October 2010, DeGeneres became “dominant and way too controlling” over him, impacting his mental well-being.
Chance said DeGeneres — who left the air about two years after a toxic workplace scandal — exhibited nasty behavior towards him and other staffers, noting, “She was just humiliating to people.” He was pictured in Nashville last year
Chance first crossed paths after being featured in a viral video singing the Lady Gaga hit Paparazzi, appearing on her show in May 2010 at age 12.
‘My whole week, my whole month, my whole year can change’ [with] a text from her,” he said. “That was terrible.”
One rift that broke out was over the 2011 Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never, Chance said, when DeGeneres acquired an advance and instructed him to immediately review it and model his work after Bieber’s.
Chance said that when he didn’t immediately look at the doctor, DeGeneres chided his mother Lisa and asked her, “What kind of mother are you?”
Chance said DeGeneres told him, “Disappointed isn’t even remotely what I’m feeling right now,” regarding the documentary issue. He said he realized he was a “pawn” for the talk show host.
Chance said DeGeneres — who left the air about two years after a toxic workplace scandal — exhibited nasty behavior towards him and staffers, noting, “She was just humiliating to people.”
Chance said DeGeneres — who left the air about two years after a toxic workplace scandal — displayed nasty behavior towards him and staffers, noting, “She was just humiliating to people.”
Chance said DeGeneres “completely removed himself” and “abandoned him” when his career slumped in 2012, and would not return his calls. He was photographed in June in LA
He added: “She would come in and look at a rack, yell at stylists, berate people in front of me and say, ‘This is what you’re wearing on the show.'”
Chance said DeGeneres “completely removed himself” and “abandoned him” when his career slumped in 2012, and would not return his calls.
Chance said he continued to appear sporadically on the Ellen show — which he called “a place of active trauma” — and DeGeneres was cool with him when the cameras weren’t rolling.
“When I got on the show, it was such a fake smile,” Chance said. She wouldn’t even ask, ‘How are you? How are you?’ It was like, “This is what we’re going to talk about. We’ll see you there.”‘
Chance opened up about an appearance he made on the show in 2019, with DeGeneres “hugging” him prior to filming.
“She said, ‘How are you?” said Chance. “And that just killed me inside because I thought, ‘What do you mean, how the hell have I been? Where have you been?'”
Chance opened up about an appearance he made on the show in 2019, with DeGeneres ‘hugging’ him prior to filming
A source at DeGeneres denied Chance’s allegations, saying she was doing her best to help launch his career
In the exchange, Chance said one moment that felt “cheap” was when DeGeneres said she was proud of him after he came out publicly as gay in 2017.
He noted, “She had nothing to do with that” and said he “hadn’t spoken to her in years” when he was made public about his sexual orientation.
“That’s so messed up, you’re showing the world like we’re so close, we’re so good,” he said. “And behind the scenes, you are this insanely manipulative person.”
Chance said he turned down multiple invitations to return to the series, including one that allegedly happened during the show’s final two weeks.
“I owe a lot to her and that team for the first part of my career,” he said. “But the reason I’m talking about an album here today is because I don’t owe her anything because I was the one who had to pull myself together. She was nowhere to be seen.’
A source at DeGeneres denied Chance’s allegations, saying she was doing her best to help launch his career; and that Chance has not expressed any of his feelings to DeGeneres around his appearance in 2019.