Ellen DeGeneres has opened up about a series of health struggles and personal revelations that have unfolded since stepping back from the spotlight following allegations about a toxic workplace environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In her latest Netflix special, For Your Approval, released in September 2024, the 67-year-old comedian and television personality shared, with characteristic humor and candidness, the challenges that have reshaped her life in recent years.
“I don’t even know how I’m standing up right now. I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower,” DeGeneres joked, immediately blending levity with the gravity of her circumstances.
Behind the laughter, however, lies a story of a woman confronting not only the physical tolls of aging but also mental health struggles that were, until recently, largely hidden from public view.
DeGeneres revealed that she has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become brittle due to decreases in bone mineral density and changes in bone structure. The condition, she explained, was only discovered after she experienced “excruciating pain” one day, initially assuming she had torn a ligament.
An MRI scan first suggested arthritis, but further evaluation confirmed osteoporosis. Reflecting on the reality of aging, DeGeneres noted, “It’s hard to be honest about aging and seem cool.” She acknowledged the irony of a career built on movement, dance, and physical comedy now being constrained by her body’s fragility.
In addition to her physical health, DeGeneres opened up about mental health struggles that led her to seek therapy in the wake of the 2020 allegations. It was during these therapy sessions that she was diagnosed with OCD. “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 said, recalling her initial confusion about the disorder.
DeGeneres also reflected on her upbringing in the Christian Science faith, a religion that traditionally does not acknowledge diseases or disorders. “So when I was growing up, nobody talked about anything.
There was no discussion of anything,” she said. Looking back, she now believes her father may have also had OCD. “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,” she explained.
But her revelations did not stop there. Later in the special, DeGeneres disclosed that she also has ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to focus, control impulses, and manage hyperactivity. “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.”
Throughout the special, DeGeneres blended humor with vulnerability, offering audiences a candid glimpse into her inner world.
Her reflections extended beyond her personal health struggles to the 2020 controversy that ultimately led to the conclusion of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022 after 19 successful seasons. That period, she acknowledged, was extraordinarily difficult.
“When you’re a public figure, you’re open to everyone’s interpretation… people will say all kinds of things and you have no control over that. But you know the truth, and that’s all that matters,” she said, speaking to the tension of maintaining self-awareness while under intense public scrutiny.
DeGeneres’ new special does more than recount her diagnoses—it serves as a meditation on aging, resilience, and the evolving nature of personal identity. She spoke about the unexpected ways in which these conditions intersect:
the obsessive tendencies of OCD, the scattered focus of ADHD, and the physical vulnerability introduced by osteoporosis. Together, they create a complicated, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately human portrait of navigating life in the public eye while confronting private challenges.
She also shared how her diagnoses have reshaped her day-to-day life. From managing daily routines to pacing herself in public appearances, DeGeneres illustrated the delicate balance between maintaining a sense of normalcy and accommodating her medical needs.
Yet, even in sharing these struggles, she emphasized the humor and resilience that have defined her career. “I obsess, I forget what I’m obsessing about, and somehow it all balances out. Maybe that’s the trick to being well-adjusted,” she said with her signature wit.
The Netflix special underscores another layer of DeGeneres’ life: her willingness to confront stigma surrounding mental health and aging. In speaking openly about OCD and ADHD—conditions often misunderstood or dismissed—she offers representation for millions navigating similar challenges.
At the same time, her openness about osteoporosis highlights the physical realities many face as they age, blending relatability with candid insight.
Ultimately, For Your Approval is a testament to DeGeneres’ enduring spirit. Despite public controversy, health struggles, and the pressures of a life lived in the spotlight, she continues to engage audiences with humor, honesty, and grace.
Through laughter and reflection, she illustrates that vulnerability is not weakness, but a source of strength—and that personal challenges, no matter how complex, can coexist with resilience, creativity, and self-acceptance.