If you’ve been watching My Next Guest Needs No Introductionfrom David Letterman, there’s a huge episode coming up this week because he’ll be speaking to none other than Ellen DeGeneres.
Though usually on the other side of an interview, Ellen talks about her early years and an experience that would leave a lasting impact for the rest of her life. Available from Friday 31st May, the episode sees Ellen discuss her mother, Betty, and the ‘very bad man’ she went on to marry as Ellen entered her teenage years.
As her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, he would use this as an excuse to inappropriately grope Ellen’s own breasts. He would try to convince her to let him ‘check’ just in case she had lumps of her own; however, this would happen too frequently to be normal.
Inspiration to Women
During the interview, Ellen explains that she isn’t just telling the story for the sake of it. Instead, she wants to empower all women to feel worthy and recognize that they have a voice. Regardless of age, Ellen believes that it’s important to speak out against bad people. In an age where women are gaining in confidence and finding the strength to open up, she also feels frustrated when victims aren’t believed; she said, ‘we just don’t make stuff up’.
For those who remember, Ellen first commented on her abusive stepfather back in 2005. On one occasion, he was banging on her bedroom door and trying to break in which forced her to escape through the window.
She said ‘I kicked the window out and ran because I knew it was going to go more to something. And I didn’t want to tell my mother because I was protecting her, and I knew that would ruin her happiness’.
Looking back, Ellen said she was ‘too weak to stand up to him’ and it created a horrible story to look back upon. For this reason, she wants other women and girls to use their voice and ensure they don’t have the same feelings as they grow older.
In terms of her sexuality, Ellen was quick to dispel the myth that she became a lesbian after the abuse. For many years, she has noted how her earliest memories were of her as a lesbian.
Fighting for Human Rights
Whether you’ve watched Ellen’s show, or you’ve simply seen her name in the news, you’ll know that she is a huge supporter of charitiesand great causes. After coming out in 1997, she became an inspiration for the LGBT community and remains so today. However, it’s fair to say she has supported lots of different causesand wants to make the world a better place regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
Well done, Ellen!
If you want to watch the next episode of David Letterman’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,you’ll find it on Netflix from Friday!
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