Ellen DeGeneres’ former protégé, Greyson Chance, claims he’s never met someone more manipulative, more self-centered and more blatantly opportunistic than her.
In a Rolling Stone interview published on Thursday, Chance, 25, reflected on his life and career after a viral video of him performing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” in front of his schoolmates landed him on DeGeneres’ talk show in May 2010, when he was just 12-years old.
“We just couldn’t believe what was happening,” he told the magazine. “We were so unsure of what we were getting into, and the person that helped cure all of that skepticism and chaotic energy was Ellen.”
When the two first met, the musician claimed, DeGeneres said to him, “I’m going to protect you. I’m going to be here for you. We’re going to do this together.”
Soon after, she co-created eleveneleven, a record label distributed by Interscope Geffen A&M Records, and signed Chance as her first act.
She also connected Chance with high-profile managers, a booking agent, a publicist and a brand agent.
n October 2010, Chance released a mini EP. As his touring schedule became more demanding, he claimed, DeGeneres became domineering and way too controlling.
“My whole week, my whole month, my whole year could change with one text message from her. That was horrible,” he alleged, adding that he quickly learned that DeGeneres’ opinions were the only ones that mattered.
A source very close to Degeneres says, “Chance’s recollection is skewed. Ellen went above and beyond for Chance. Sometimes careers just don’t take off like expected.”
While Chance was opening for Miranda Cosgrove on tour, DeGeneres, 64, got her hands on an advance copy of Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never” documentary.
According to Chance, who was admittedly exhausted at the time, “DeGeneres wanted me to watch it right away because she wanted me to model my career after that of the mega-successful pop star. When I didn’t make viewing the film a priority, DeGeneres called my mother, Lisa, and berated her.”
“What type of mother are you?” he recalled hearing the comedian allegedly ask his mom before she purportedly said to him directly, “Disappointed isn’t even remotely what I’m feeling right now.”
At that moment, Chance realized that he was just a pawn in Ellen’s game. Chance said DeGeneres’ widely rumored wrath seeped into every aspect of his career.
“She would come in and look at a rack, yell at stylists, berate people in front of me and say, ‘This is what you’re wearing on the show,’” he claimed. “She was just degrading to people.”
When his album and ticket sales dropped in 2012, Chance alleged DeGeneres completely removed herself from him and completely abandoned him. He further claimed he tried getting in touch with her to no avail.
Interscope soon dropped him, and his team disintegrated.
Despite their fallout, Chance continued to make periodic appearances on “Ellen” over the years, knowing the positive impact the exposure would have on his career. Still, he described the set as “a place of active trauma for me.”
“Whenever I would come on the show, it was such a fake smile. She wouldn’t even ask, ‘How are you doing? How are you holding up?’ It was just like, ‘Here’s what we’re going to talk about. We’ll see you on there,’” he claimed.
However, on stage she would praise him and tell him how proud she was of him.
During a particularly awkward appearance in 2019, Chance alleged DeGeneres hugged him during soundcheck.
“And she said, ‘How have you been?’ And that just killed me inside because I was like, ‘What do you mean how have I f–king been? Where have you been?’”
The close insider with Degeneres also said, “Chance didn’t make any complaints before or immediately after the 2019 appearance on the show. It just seems awfully convenient that he came out with his claims right when he is on the verge of releasing his latest album.”
“Palladium” was released Thursday, the same day the Rolling Stone interview was published.
During the pair’s on-air chat that day, DeGeneres said she was so proud of Chance for coming out as gay two years prior. To the singer, the moment felt cheap.
“She had nothing to do with that. … When I came out, I hadn’t spoken to her in years …,” he told Rolling Stone. “That’s so messed up, that you’re now showing the world as if we’re so tight, we’re so good. And behind the scenes, you are this insanely manipulative person.”
He added, “When I look at the interviews and I look at my eyes, I can see so much anxiety. I can just see so much PTSD because I’m there holding on for dear life going, ‘I need this TV gig.’ I was 100 percent faking it, and I felt like she was 100 percent faking it with me, too.”
“The first part of my career, I owe a lot of thanks to her and to that team,” he said. “But the reason why I’m here today talking about an album, I owe f–king nothing to her because I was the one that had to pull myself up. She was nowhere to be found.”
As for his musical idol, Lady Gaga, he added, “She has been there for me in the ways that Ellen never was.”
Way to promote your music you ungrateful POS! You haven’t done anything in awhile and most people are like Chance who anyway!? So this is what you resorted too! Hope this is a flop like everything else you’ve done!