Over the past couple of days, Ellen DeGeneres has been at the centre of a lot of drama after she laughed and talked with George W. Bush at a football game over the weekend.
The footage of DeGeneres and former president Bush sharing a joke as they watched the game caused an immediate and intense backlash.
Laura & George Bush sitting with Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi is not something I expected to see at an NFL game
Many people took issue with DeGeneres spending time with Bush over his role in the Iraq war which has been criticised over its legitimacy.
Not cool Ellen. The only category in which W is a better #POTUS than #Trump is optics/presentation. You’re watching football & laughing with a guy who is responsible for thousands of deaths (both in Iraq & our military). Fuck #W. Fuck Ellen. And fuck the Goddam Dallas #Cowboys https://t.co/ug3G9dBBHO
Others pointed out Bush's poor record on LGBT rights as well as his defence of Brett Kavanaugh after he was accused of sexual assault in 2018.
Lol...so Ellen forgave Kevin Hart for all lgbt people & now she's partying w/Bush at an NFL game?:...the same Bush who lobbied for Kavanah & the same Bush who opposed LGBT marriage & HIV/AIDS funding. lol & the same NFL that supports trump. All so funny. https://t.co/ChxM44dNbV
Two days later, DeGeneres spoke out against the criticism during a monologue on her show. During her speech, DeGeneres drew attention to one of the more positive tweets she saw online.
View this video on YouTube
"A lot of people were mad, and they did what people do when they're mad — they tweet," she said. "But there's one tweet that I love, and this person says: 'Ellen and George Bush together makes me have faith in America again.'"
She went on: "Here's the thing. I'm friends with George Bush. In fact, I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have."
DeGeneres then said that being friends with Bush was similar to her putting aside her feelings to be friends with people who wear fur.
"When I say be kind to one another," she concluded, "I don't mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone."
Within hours of her monologue being posted online, a second wave of criticism began, with many people saying that she'd missed the point of people's outrage in the first place.
It's disingenuous for Ellen to say that people with differences in opinions can be friendly. Bush was committed to opposing gay marriage, literally promoted an illegitimate war and torturing of prisoners. Ellen can fuck off. https://t.co/GyYQnf4edn
And said that the logic behind her defence was "absurd".
@lNLANDEMPlRE Ellen equated being friends w Bush to having friends who wear clothes you don’t like... people are dead because of him and he wanted to oppress you when he was in office.
However, while all of that was going on, two of DeGeneres's closest celebrity friends, Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Bell, were speaking out in her defence.
On Twitter, Witherspoon posted DeGeneres's monologue alongside a message reading: "Thank you for this important reminder, Ellen!"
Thank you for this important reminder, Ellen! “I have friends who don’t think the same things that i do. When I say be kind to one another , I don’t mean be kind to the people who think the same way you do . I mean ..Be Kind to Everyone. “ https://t.co/nPUMljZpUi
And Bell headed over to Instagram to share a side-by-side photo of Bush and DeGeneres alongside the caption: "She's my 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑"
But it didn't take long before people began dragging both Witherspoon and Bell for their comments.
"It is a privilege to be able to set aside the real life harm and oppression bc it does not affect you and befriend someone like that," one Twitter user told Witherspoon.
"I have to take issue with this, with all due respect. There's nothing wrong with being friends with people of different beliefs, but there IS something wrong with being friends with someone who has hurt you and your community without remorse or a change," said another.
Another said: "Believing certain members of our society don’t deserve the same rights as the rest because of their gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation isn’t a difference of opinion, ladies. 'Being kind' doesn’t mean we should smile politely while they work to take away our rights."
While many, many more voiced their disappointment.
@ReeseW
@ReeseW
@ReeseW reese. no.
And told her to delete the tweet.
@ReeseW Delete this
@ReeseW reese honey.... delete this
@ReeseW
Meanwhile, fans of Bell were leaving angry comments underneath her Instagram post.
"This is the man that used the hatred of us to get himself re-elected," they said.
"Just lost MAJOR respect for you. What a fucking shame."
"An opinion that intentionally oppresses or harms another life? NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. You’re better than this."
"I think you need a new queen."
"Nope nope and nope. Tolerance of intolerance is complicity."
"Sorry. Can’t go with you on this one. It’s elitist and lacking historical reference. GW Bush harmed so many many people. It’s appalling."
"Every cis straight person who shares that Ellen video today about how we just need to be nice to our oppressors on the literal day of 3 supreme court cases that could set the precedent of stripping rights from LGBT people nation wide needs to pay $10 to every LGBT friend who has to see it."
And, as with Witherspoon's mentions, Bell's post was filled with fans begging her to reconsider and delete the message.
