Ellen DeGeneres opened up about her health in her 2024 Netflix comedy special, For Your Approval, revealing that she has been diagnosed with three different conditions affecting both her physical and mental health.
Once celebrated as an LGBTQ+ icon, Ellen DeGeneres once ruled daytime talk shows with her quick wit, charm, and star-studded guest lineup.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show enjoyed nearly 20 years on air, earning 171 Emmy nominations and leaving a lasting mark on television.
But by the mid-2010s, the rise of cancel culture and intense social scrutiny began to take a toll. What was once a beloved career quickly unraveled, leaving DeGeneres facing public backlash and a sharp decline in popularity.
Today, she remains a polarizing figure — no longer the unshakable talk show queen she once was, but still remembered for her groundbreaking impact and remarkable career transformation.
In recent years, Ellen DeGeneres, who moved to the UK after Donald Trump’s re-election, has been largely focused on her own health.
Osteoporosis: Feeling “like a human sandcastle”
DeGeneres first discovered she had osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more prone to fractures, after a bone density test.
“I don’t even know how I’m standing up right now. I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower,” she joked.
She recalled experiencing sudden, “excruciating pain” and initially fearing she had torn a ligament. Early scans suggested arthritis, but further testing confirmed osteoporosis. Reflecting on aging, she added:
“It’s hard to be honest about aging and seem cool.”
As if osteoporosis wasn’t enough, Ellen revealed she was also diagnosed with arthritis.
“I had excruciating pain one day and I thought I tore a ligament or something, and I got an MRI and they said, ‘No, it’s just arthritis.’ I said, ‘How did I get that?’ And he said, ‘Oh it just happens at your age,’” she explained.
“It’s hard to be honest about aging and seem cool,” she confessed.
OCD: Organized, but compulsive
Alongside her physical health challenges, DeGeneres shared insights into her mental health. Therapy revealed she has OCD, which causes compulsive behaviors and over-focusing on certain tasks.
“I was in therapy for a while trying to deal with all the hatred that was coming at me,” she shared. “And you know, it was not a common situation for a therapist to deal with.”
“I may have OCD because a therapist said so and I said, ‘Yes I am very organized,’ because I thought that was the O. I didn’t know what OCD was,” she admitted.
Ellen traced some of these tendencies to her upbringing:
“I was raised in a religion, Christian Science, that doesn’t acknowledge diseases or disorders. So when I was growing up, nobody talked about anything.”
She also believes her father showed similar behaviors:
“He would check the doorknob 15 times before we’d leave, he’d check the faucet 15 times, he would unplug all the appliances before we left the house because lightning could strike and it could catch fire. They say it could be hereditary.”
ADHD: Struggle to focus
DeGeneres also revealed she has ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting focus, impulse control, and attention span.
“So, I have ADD, I have OCD, I’m losing my memory,” she said.
“But I think I’m well-adjusted because I obsess on things, but I don’t have the attention span to stick with it, and I quickly forget what I was obsessing about in the first place. So, it takes me all the way around to being well-adjusted, I think.”
Reflections on fame and public scrutiny
The Netflix special also touched on DeGeneres’ decision to step back from the limelight following the controversies surrounding her talk show. She reflected on public criticism and life in the spotlight:
“When you’re a public figure, you’re open to everyone’s interpretation… But you know the truth and that’s all that matters.”
As previously mentioned, the former talk show host is now living a quieter life in the English countryside, months after she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, quietly relocated to the UK.
The couple have kept a relatively low profile since leaving Montecito, California, following Donald Trump’s election victory in 2024, and settling in the Cotswolds.
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