Ellen DeGeneres' Tone-Deaf Quarantine Joke Draws Backlash From Fans

Ellen DeGeneres’ latest joke about being stuck in quarantine didn’t land well with fans.

DeGeneres is among the many talk show hosts filming episodes at home in the wake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, which has prompted people to practice social distancing and self-isolation to flatten the curve of the wide-spreading disease. Well, during this week’s episode, DeGeneres, who has been shut inside her lavish mansion with wife Portia de Rossi, attempted to make light of the predicament with a quip many fans found tone-deaf.

“This is like being in jail,” the 62-year-old said during the broadcast, likening her $15 million abode to that of a prison cell. “Mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay.”

As anticipated, the backlash was immediate.

“No @TheEllenShow , being quarantined in your mansion w/ an abundance of food, medication and privilege is NOT like being in jail,” one user tweeted. “Incarcerated people are contracting #COVID19 & some are dying because of lack of access to healthcare, supplies & basic empathy from staff.”

“@TheEllenShow i'm disappointed in you. A mansion is nothing like Jail,” someone else chimed in. “Also be bloody happy you no doubt have cash to keep that roof over your head while us plebs are fighting to keep ours."

Considering the severe drawbacks the coronavirus crisis has caused those less fortunate than DeGeneres, the outrage here is understandable. After all, at least 6.6 million Americans have applied for unemployment and experts predict 22 million will suffer job losses by the end of May due to the pandemic.

As of Wednesday morning (April 8), over 400,500 Americans have been infected by the novel virus and more than 12,850 have died amid the outbreak.

To keep up to date on the latest news about the coronavirus and to understand what you need to stay safe and healthy, check out the Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction podcast from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Photo: Getty Images


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