Ellen DeGeneres will reprise her role as Dory in an upcoming short film in Disney's Finding Nemo franchise, Deadline reports. The actor previously voiced the character in 2003's Finding Nemo and 2016's Finding Dory, which grossed $1.029 billion at the box office.
DeGeneres' public image declined after allegations of bullying and misconduct emerged in 2020, according to multiple reports. The scandal was sparked by a tweet from comedian Kevin T. Porter in March 2020 asking for stories about Ellen being mean, as reported by BuzzFeed News. BuzzFeed News published an exposé in July 2020 featuring one current and 10 former employees alleging racism, workplace bullying, and sexual harassment. WarnerMedia launched an internal investigation in August 2020 and fired executive producers Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman, and Jonathan Norman, according to reports. DeGeneres issued a formal apology to her 255 employees, as reported. The final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired on May 26, 2022 after 19 seasons. DeGeneres branded the backlash 'a coordinated misogynistic attack' on her, according to reports. The Daily Mail reported allegations from a former staffer about behind-the-scenes antics on DeGeneres' show.
I have to just trust that whatever happened during that time, which was obviously very, very difficult, happened for a reason. I think that I learned a lot, and there were some things that came up that I was shocked and surprised by. It was eye-opening, but I just trust that that had to happen.
DeGeneres released a Netflix special in 2024 titled Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, which received a 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to reports. The title and release date of the upcoming short film have not been announced, nor whether it will be released in theaters or on streaming.