More money, more problems? Ellen DeGeneres was one of the highest-paid celebrities of 2020, according to Forbes.
The magazine published its annual Top 100 list on Monday, August 31. Kylie Jenner and her brother-in-law, Kanye West, topped the list, making $590 million and $170 million, respectively. The 23-year-old Kylie Cosmetics CEO’s top spot comes three months after she feuded with Forbes for revoking her billionaire status. After the outlet accused Jenner of lying about the success of her makeup brand through forged tax returns, she fired back.
“What am i even waking up to. i thought this was a reputable site…” Jenner tweeted after Forbes published a story titled “Inside Kylie Jenner’s Web of Lies — and Why She’s No Longer a Billionaire” in May. “All i see are a number of inaccurate statements and unproven assumptions lol. i’ve never asked for any title or tried to lie my way there EVER. period.”
West has also argued with Forbes over his success in the past. DeGeneres, meanwhile, has been under fire for accusations of a toxic set, racism and sexual misconduct made by current and former staffers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The 62-year-old Emmy winner has since apologized to her staff in a letter obtained by Us Weekly on July 30.
“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” the letter read. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
Despite the drama, a source confirmed to Us that the show is set to go on, with DeGeneres and her remaining producers (Ed Glavin, Jonathan Norman and Kevin Leman were all fired amid the allegations) hosting a video meeting to boost company morale.
“She said she’s not on set as much as everyone else, and she didn’t know what was going on,” a source told Us in August. “Ellen said she was ashamed and embarrassed to hear about it and assured them it would not continue. … She said if you heard anything about the show not coming back, that’s not true.”
In addition to her talk show, DeGeneres’ A Very Good Production company produces Little Big Shots, Ellen’s Game of Games, Green Eggs and Ham and has several other projects in the works.
According to Forbes, celebrities overall made a combined $200 million less in 2020 than 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 2020 also marked the first time podcast creators entered the chart and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first year on the list, raking in $45.5 million and the No. 62 spot.
Scroll through for the top 15 names on the list, and head over to Forbes for the top 100: