When we usually write about Ellen, it's often because she's had on an adorable guest or scared the bejeezus out of one of the celebrities on her show. However, this week Ellen DeGeneres' daytime show made headlines for a very different reason. After upcoming guest Kim Burrell made very public anti-LGBT statements, Ellen ultimately opted to cut the guest from Ellen. During the episode Burrell was expected to appear, Ellen spoke with Pharrell Williams about why she ultimately made the decision she did. Here's what she has to say:
You were supposed to do a different song and you were supposed to perform it with a singer that actually, I didn't know her, her name was Kim Burrell... She said some very not nice things about homosexuals, so I didn't feel that was good of me to have her on the show to give her a platform after she's saying things about me.
Ellen DeGeneres and Pharrell were speaking about his career and how much the daytime TV host has supported him when Ellen awkwardly decided to address the elephant in the room. We learned yesterday from the early morning host that Kim Burrell would not be appearing on the show, but we didn't really know her feelings about why. She very clearly and succinctly explained her point of view to Pharrell Williams who responded by stating there really is no room for "any kind of prejudice" in this world.
However, Pharrell also expressed a love for Kim Burrell as a person and a singer, noting that we all need to get used to everyone's differences. Ellen DeGeneres agreed, telling the audience that she has been discriminated against due to her sexual preferences, but that many times when she has faced adversity, it has honestly given her more compassion for others.
To me, when I say be kind to one another I mean it.
It's unclear if Ellen DeGeneres and Kim Burrell would have been able to be amicable had the singer actually appeared on the series. She was set to perform the song "I See A Victory" from the Hidden Figures soundtrack, but just a few days ago a video went viral of Burrell doing a sermon in which she said some not very nice things about people with different sexual preferences. Fans of Ellen and her show were vociferous on the Internet, calling for Ellen to pull Burrell from her guest list, and Ellen DeGeneres ultimately mulled it over before making a decision. While that's a statement-making decision, it's good that she at least came out and explained why she ultimately came to the conclusion that she did.
If you'd like to take a look at the full interview, you can head over to the next page...
