Ellen DeGeneres defends sitting with former president George W. Bush at football game

(Screenshot from Twitter)

Ellen DeGeneres stirred up controversy after a photo was posted online of her and wife, Portia de Rossi, sitting with former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, at the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers game on Oct. 6.

Many took to Twitter to blast DeGeneres for sitting with a president who they pointed out, during his two terms in office, opposed same-sex marriage and led the U.S. into a war with Iraq on false pretenses.

DeGeneres addressed the controversy in the opening monologue of the Oct. 8 episode of her talk show. She posted the clip on her Twitter account Oct. 7 ahead of the airing of the episode.

“Here’s the thing: I’m friends with George Bush. In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have,” DeGeneres  said in the clip. “But just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean I’m not gonna be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don’t mean only the people that think the same way you do. I mean be kind to everyone. It doesn’t matter.”

Several people, mostly conservatives, came to DeGeneres defense after the clip was posted saying this is the type of civility needed in today’s world.

George W. Bush has not yet commented on the controversy.

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