As Ellen Degeneres continues to face allegations of creating a toxic work environment on her show, old clips and conversations from past seasons are starting to be seen in a new light. One such clip from 2008, featuring an interview with powerhouse songstress Mariah Carey, has been making the rounds on social media, with the “Heartbreaker” singer having to admit that, yes, Ellen made her hella-uncomfortable in that moment, the effects of which took her a long time to deal with.“I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say. And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath,” she told
Vulture.The clip in question shows Ellen speculating that Mariah is pregnant, a question that Mariah doesn’t want to answer. So Ellen forces a scenario where Mariah can either drink a flute of champagne or not, which would let the cat out of the bag.[video_embed id='2017704']RELATED: Mariah Carey ‘Rarities’ album on the way[/video_embed]“I can’t believe you did this to me, Ellen. This is peer pressure,” Mariah awkwardly smiles during the interview. “I can’t believe her.”In the clip, the “Honey” singer mimes drinking the champagne but ultimately doesn’t, choosing to speak vaguely about pregnancy rumours with a concerned look on her face. It’s definitely awkward to watch today, framed with these new allegations against Ellen’s workplace culture, but even back then, you can clearly see they could cut the tension with a butter knife.
“I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage,” Carey went on to say in the Vulture interview. Wow, we really feel for Mariah learning that, and it certainly adds a layer of cruelty to Ellen’s tactics.“I don’t want to throw anyone that’s already being thrown under any proverbial bus,” she continued, “but I didn’t enjoy that moment.”While
The Ellen Degeneres Show has been placed under investigation for
fostering a toxic workplace, forcing the ouster of
three producers and leading Ellen to apologize to her staff in
an emotional internal memo, the “Fantasy” chart-topper had some extra advice for the talk show host going forward, suggesting, “an empathy[ …] can be applied to those moments that I would have liked to have been implemented. But what am I supposed to do? It’s like, [sings] ‘What are you going to do?”[video_embed id='2021101']RELATED: Ellen DeGeneres says 'I'll be talking to my fans' after removal of three top producers[/video_embed]
