Ellen DeGeneres’s summer of scandal: Is her net worth still high?
Ellen DeGeneres, the standup comedian, actress, producer, brand ambassador, & host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show has amassed a massive net worth thanks to her commitment to spreading “happiness & joy” to viewers, but it hasn’t been easy.
Summer of scandal
In 2020, DeGeneres and her producers came under fire for alleged mistreatment of staff on her daytime talk show. The scandal led to the ousting of three executive producers and a public apology on her season 18 premiere, in which she addressed not necessarily living up to her “Be Kind Lady” reputation.
“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened,” DeGeneres said in her opening monologue for the Sept 21, 2020 premiere. “I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected.
I know that I’m in a position of privilege & power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I am Ellen DeGeneres,” she continued.
Social media sucks
Ellen DeGeneres has lost more social media followers than any other celebrity this year, and that could possibly affect her net worth. The talk show host faced controversy this year after several former employees claimed senior producers mistreated other workers. The sixty-two year old lost 545,000 followers on Instagram, and more than 612,000 on Twitter.
However it doesn’t appear that the scandal has affected DeGeneres’ net worth significantly, she has multiple streams of income. Most of Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth comes from her massive talk show earnings. According to a 2020 report by Variety, DeGeneres earns “more than $50 million per year from her Telepictures deal,” and that includes “about sixty percent of advertising, carrying fee, & product placement profits”, on her show, reports Business Insider.
Accounting acumen
Ellen DeGeneres’ net worth is estimated to be anywhere between $330 million up to $490 million as of 2020, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Of course, with how much she earns each year from her books, comedy specials, & lifestyle brands, her net worth can fluctuate.
Aside from her work in front of the camera, DeGeneres also has her own production company, A Very Good Production helping keep her net worth growing. She’s executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as Ellen’s Game of Games, Little Big Shots, Fempire, Fearless, Press Pause, Go RVing, DiversiTEA with Naomi Wadler, Splitting Up Together, Ellen’s Design Challenge, Green Eggs & Ham & more.
Much of DeGeneres’ net worth comes from her endorsements and branding deals. DeGeneres has been a face of CoverGirl cosmetics (alongside fan favorite guest & Modern Family star Sofía Vergara), JCPenney, Vitamin Water, Olay, & American Express. She also has her own line of lifestyle products, ED by Ellen DeGeneres, which includes pet supplies (she’s famously an animal lover), clothing, & home goods.
Real estate revenues
Architectural Digest reports that DeGeneres is also a shrewd real estate investor, increasing her net worth considerably. Before marrying wife Portia de Rossi, DeGeneres sold a Hollywood Hills home to Will Ferrell for $9 million in 2003, another to the late Heath Ledger in 2004 for $2 million, and another California property to Google CEO Eric Schmidt for $20 million.
Since tying the knot, De Rossi & DeGeneres have made a killing off selling real estate to other stars, significantly increasing their combined net worth. In 2019 alone, DeGeneres & De Rossi sold properties for $6.98 million, $15.5 million, and $23 million.
