People got upset on Sunday when a photo of Ellen DeGeneres surfaced sharing some laughs with former President George W. Bush at this weekend’s Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay Packers football game.
DeGeneres addressed criticisms that appeared on social media during the opening segment of her talk show on Tuesday.
“Here’s the thing: I’m friends with George Bush,” she began, using the controversy to push for openness across social and political divides. “In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different and I think we’ve forgotten that that’s OK that we’re all different.”
Here’s Ellen’s full statement:
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