If there’s one thing we’ve all learned through this whole thing, it’s that most celebrities are absolutely out of touch with reality.
The latest celebrity to come under fire for her utter lack of empathy for average people is Ellen Degeneres. On Monday, Ellen released an episode of her show filmed at her home in California.
During the show, she proceeded to compare her over 8,000 square foot home with prison.
Many were quick to point out that Ellen’s 5 bedroom, 10 bathroom mansion, complete with a swimming pool. would be a quarantine dream for most people. She also faced criticism for her complete lack of understanding of the true conditions some prisons are in.
Take a look at the reactions:
Unfortunately, Ellen is not alone among the Hollywood elites who have been making videos and expressing how difficult the quarantine is for them. Both Madonna and celebrity chef Sandra Lee came under fire for the insensitive tones their videos portrayed during a difficult time.
Yahoo reports on the backlash Ellen is facing:
Ellen DeGeneres compared self-isolating in her California mansion to being in prison, and Twitter users were quick to call out the talk show host for what they felt was an insensitive remark.Â
During her show on Monday, DeGeneres revealed that she was now filming from the comfort of her home that she shares with wife Portia de Rossi. After thanking first responders, emergency workers, doctors, nurses, and other essential pandemic workers, DeGeneres pivoted to talking about her experience self-isolating with de Rossi and their dog (around the two-minute mark).Â
"One thing I've learned from being in quarantine is that people — this is like being in jail, is what this is," DeGeneres said, adding, "It's mostly because I've been wearing the same clothes for 10 days, and everyone in here is gay."Â
DeGeneres seemed amused by her comparison, smiling and remarking, "The jokes that I have."Â
After DeGeneres shared the clip on Twitter, users were quick to call out the host for her remarks about prisons, especially during a time when prison inmates are at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Some pointed out that inmates in prisons were far more likely to die from the coronavirus than other citizens — especially wealthy ones like DeGeneres.
Prison inmates are disproportionately vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 during the current pandemic, with experts warning that prisons and jails could become "petri dishes of infection."
Even during normal times, inmates face incredible challenges if they become ill or injured during their incarceration, and many fear the coronavirus could wreak havoc on prisons if left unchecked — leading to the release of some prisoners considered to be at a higher risk for contracting the virus.Â
Check out the episode of The Ellen Show below:
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