(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.
Why are Ellen Degeneres and George W. Bush watching the Cowboys-packers game together? Has she forgotten about that whole anti-gay marriage, war in Iraq, general incompetence thing?
— Adam B. Lerner (@AdamBLerner) October 6, 2019
Ladies & gentlemen, I regret to inform you Ellen DeGeneres is CANCELED pic.twitter.com/jSjCNgPDnI
— sharia board 👳🏻♂️👻🎃 (@SirajAHashmi) October 6, 2019
Ellen DeGeneres laughing it up with someone who has actively tried to harm our community feels disappointing, irresponsible, and dangerous. https://t.co/tgGfmCGQ5A
— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) October 7, 2019
Just Ellen Degeneres hanging out with her buddy George W. Bush who slaughtered over a million human beings by launching an illegal war against #Iraq on a pack of lies. How adorable. https://t.co/OmUiva0qkG
— Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) October 7, 2019
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.
Yes, that was me at the Cowboys game with George W. Bush over the weekend. Here’s the whole story. pic.twitter.com/AYiwY5gTIS
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 8, 2019
“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.
#EllenDeGeneres is a national treasurehttps://t.co/uvqcMaJfIx
— Brad Polumbo (@brad_polumbo) October 8, 2019
What a world! Now Ellen DeGeneres has to defend herself for who she sits next to at a football game! Good for her – her video is worth watching. @TheEllenShow https://t.co/0YqZ04FDhZ
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) October 8, 2019
Well said, @TheEllenShow
Except… #GoCowboys (yeah, I know… they lost 😡)https://t.co/SrfSRshXAs— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) October 8, 2019
I don’t know why people are hating on this. This is exactly what our world needs right now. We need to see that people who disagree politically can sit together, be kind, and enjoy a football game. Chill people. This is a good thing. #lovewins #bekind https://t.co/xaDksPMsdl
— Amanda Fortner Oakes (@alfortner) October 7, 2019
George W. Bush has not yet commented on the controversy.