David Letterman has a significant place in late night television history. From NBC to CBS, Letterman has been a fixture in homes for many decades. His comedic timing and memorable celebrity interviews have made him a living legend.
Ellen DeGeneres started as a comedian who landed her own sitcom and eventually got film roles. Her sitcom was canceled after DeGeneres came out as gay. She returned to stand-up and eventually landed her own talk show in 2003.
Believe it or not, the two talk show legends have shared many emotional moments together.
Ellen DeGeneres Opens Up To David Letterman About Her Childhood Abuse
DeGeneres was a guest on Letterman's Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The interview show has a different format to Letterman's previous late night show. The comedic elements are toned down in favor of a more raw and honest conversation.
When DeGeneres was speaking to Letterman, the environment allowed her to feel safe enough to speak about her childhood abuse. DeGeneres talked with Letterman about her stepfather abusing her when she was a teenager.
DeGeneres said that her mother Betty married "a very bad man" and was diagnosed with breast cancer afterward. This resulted in one of her breasts being removed. DeGeneres told Letterman that her stepfather used her mother's condition to assault her.
"He told me when she was out of town that he’d felt a lump in her breast and needed to feel my breasts because he didn’t want to upset her, but he needed to feel mine," DeGeneres said.
DeGeneres said that, at first, she didn't tell her mother what happened. She said that she didn't want to "ruin her happiness." After a few years, DeGeneres told her and said her mother didn't believe her, staying with him for 18 more years. She said that her mother finally left him because "he changed his story so many times."
David Letterman Reacts To Ellen DeGeneres Sharing Her Emotional And Painful Past
DeGeneres' story was a highlight of her interview with Letterman. The comedian had talked about the abuse before, but it hit the public differently in light of the #MeToo movement.
When talking about the interview with The Washington Post, Letterman said that he was unsure of how to handle the situation.
"I didn't know what to do," he said. "Luckily in my life I've not been in that situation where somebody is telling me something horrifying. I don't know — do I hug them? Do I touch them? I was paralyzed."
Letterman said that his reaction to the story was "compounded" because he met DeGeneres' mother the day before.
Betty DeGeneres released a statement to the Today Show after the interview, expressing regret for not believing her daughter.
"I know now that one of the hardest things to do is speak up after being abused," she wrote. "I love my daughter, and I wish I had the capacity to listen to her when she told me what happened."
She added, "I live with that regret, and I wouldn’t want that for any other parent. If someone in your life has the courage to speak out, please believe them."
Ellen Gets Emotional Receiving Advice From David Letterman About What To Do After Her Show Ends
Letterman and DeGeneres met on television again in 2022. It was the final season of DeGeneres' successful talk show, which ran for 19 seasons.
"I’m thrilled to be here, because anything I can do to help you in this moment, because it’s a bit emotional, I’m here for you, as I’ve always been," Letterman told DeGeneres.
Since Letterman also occupied a very lengthy space in talk show history, he provided DeGeneres with some advice for what to do when the show ends.
"I learned this, when the show’s over, I’m not kidding, take some time off. Take a week, 10 days," he said. "Travel, visit family, visit friends and then immediately get another show, because it doesn’t work."
DeGeneres pressed Letterman further about the time off, and he insisted upon the timeframe. "Two weeks would be dangerous," he said. "A week, 10 days, you’re back at it."
DeGeneres wanted to make sure Letterman was serious about getting another job so soon. He said, "You’ll thank me for this."
DeGeneres then got emotional as she informed Letterman of the impact he made on her career.
"I want to say thank you so much for being here," she said. "You are a brilliant man, you are my hero and being on your show really helped me as a comedian, as a person. You influenced me in so many ways. You just were my idol. You were so brilliant, and I just wanted to do anything that would impress you."
Letterman responded by complimenting DeGeneres as well.
"Please Ellen, that’s very kind of you. And what you have done with your life and your television show is remarkable and unequaled. So, congratulations and if I played even a tiny role in that I’m so proud."
