"That's not the truth, Ellen"^[1][2] is a phrase coined by American actress Dakota Johnson in response to American comedian Ellen DeGeneres. In November 2019, Johnson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022). During the interview, DeGeneres playfully confronted Johnson about not being invited to her then-recent 30th birthday party. Johnson stated that she had invited her and encouraged DeGeneres to consult her staff, who ultimately confirmed that she had been invited but was unavailable at the time.

Once the episode was broadcast, the exchange was widely perceived as an awkward yet humorous interaction between host and guest, and became an Internet meme. As clips circulated on social media, viewers noted the interaction’s perceived tension and Johnson’s blunt contradiction of DeGeneres. The media speculated that DeGeneres had missed Johnson’s party to attend a football game with former U.S. president George W. Bush, which brought renewed attention to a controversy that DeGeneres had addressed on an earlier episode of her show.

In 2020, the exchange was reexamined following allegations of a toxic work environment at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In the wake of the show’s 2022 cancellation and allegations of unkind behavior against DeGeneres, it has since been described by commentators as an inciting incident in a downward shift in DeGeneres’s public image.

In November 2019, actress Dakota Johnson appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote her film The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019).^[3] After wishing Johnson a belated 30th birthday, host Ellen DeGeneres asked how her party was, claiming that she had not been invited.^[3] While the studio audience laughed, Johnson responded, “Actually, no, that’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited”,^[4] and clarified that DeGeneres had simply not attended. Johnson added that DeGeneres had previously remarked about being excluded from her birthday party the year prior, and therefore ensured she was invited on this occasion.^[5] She also explained she was unaware that the talk show host even liked her, despite having previously appeared on the talk show.^[5][6] When DeGeneres attempted to argue that she had not received an invitation, Johnson invited her to “ask everybody”, referring to the show’s staff, and specifically Jonathan Norman, one of the producers.^[7] DeGeneres addressed an off-camera crew member,^[3] who confirmed that she had in fact been invited but was "out of town".^[5] DeGeneres quickly admitted she had had "had that thing",^[4] then joked that Johnson’s party was “probably” in Malibu and therefore too far for her to attend.^[8]

The interview continued with additional exchanges, including discussion of comedian Tig Notaro’s performance at Johnson’s birthday party. Johnson made a joking remark calling Notaro her “favourite comedian”, before adding “other than you”, and DeGeneres joking about Jennifer Aniston being her “favourite actress” in return.^[7] DeGeneres also stated that she had introduced Johnson to Notaro at her 60th birthday party, which Johnson disputed by noting that she had already left the party before Notaro’s performance began.^[9] She pretended to walk away from the interview before returning to her seat.^[9] The conversation later briefly shifted to Johnson’s relationship with musician Chris Martin, which Johnson addressed minimally, then finally mostly discussed Johnson's film for the remainder of the interview.^[5]

The episode featuring Johnson's interview aired on November 27, 2019.^[10] The segment was widely shared on social media following its broadcast,^[11][12] inspiring countless Internet memes and GIFs.^[1][13] The clip itself became viral,^[14] and was circulated on YouTube and news shows.^[1][13] Initial reactions described the interview as an awkward but overall humorous exchange between the actress and talk show host.^[12][15] A writer for New Zealand Woman's Weekly commented that the studio audience “must have been desperate to exit the studio” midway through the segment.^[5] Some commentators praised Johnson’s wittiness, nonchalance, and bluntness,^[15][16] which Christopher Rosa of Glamour and Erin Nyren of Variety noted had already become a trademark of Johnson's talk and award show appearances, prior to Ellen.^[12][4] Georgia Aspinall of Grazia said Johnson gave "us the most hilarious example of passive-aggressive behaviour we’ve ever seen".^[11] Others noted that Johnson’s remarks appeared to unsettle the typically composed and quick-witted DeGeneres,^[1][9][17] in a manner that few guests had previously done.^[13][16] According to Adam White of The Daily Telegraph, " thousands [took] pride in her being gently taken down a notch in her own TV home".^[18] Body language expert Blanca Cobb analyzed the interaction and stated that DeGeneres’s expressions and behavior suggested discomfort and defensiveness, while Johnson’s indicated relative ease, sincerity, and candor.^[15]

Some media outlets and viewers speculated that DeGeneres’s absence from Johnson’s birthday party may have been due to her attendance at a Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers game with her wife, Portia de Rossi, where she was photographed seated with former U.S. president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush.^[11][14][15] The images prompted criticism from some fans, who objected to DeGeneres socializing with Bush due to his conservative political views and anti-LGBTQ policies.^[13] Although DeGeneres's whereabouts the day of Johnson's party were never publicly disclosed or confirmed,^[13] reports noted that Johnson’s party took place on October 6 in California, while the game occurred on October 7 in Texas.^[19][14] Although DeGeneres had already addressed the controversy and defended her friendship with Bush on an episode of her talk show that had preceded Johnson's,^[20] the interview brought renewed attention to the incident.^[13]

In 2020, several employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show raised concerns about the show’s workplace environment, including allegations of harassment and inappropriate conduct, prompting an internal investigation and ultimately resignation of three of the show's executive producers.^[21] DeGeneres addressed the allegations on-air, apologizing while stating she was not aware of the reported incidents. The controversy led to increased media scrutiny of DeGeneres’s public image and her long-running “be kind” branding.^[22] By November 2020, fans had already begun celebrating the "anniversary" of Johnson's interview on social media.^[23] By 2021, the phrase "That's not the truth, Ellen" had become "a staple of internet-speak", according to Maria Loreto of ¡Hola!.^[24]

In May 2021, DeGeneres announced that her talk show would conclude the following year after its 19th season.^[25] DeGeneres denied speculation that the decision was a direct result of allegations and controversies surrounding the show, stating that she no longer felt creatively challenged and had contemplated ending since season 16.^[25] Following the announcement, the Johnson interview experienced a resurgence on social media as several social media users and commentators referenced it in discussions about the cancellation of The Ellen DeGeneres Show,^[2][26] with posts jokingly framing the exchange as having early symbolic association with both the allegations and the show’s eventual ending.^[27][28][29] Social media users, particularly on Twitter, frequently shared excerpts from DeGeneres’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter discussing her decision to end The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often accompanied by still images from her interview with Johnson.^[30] Rachel Brodsky of The Independent corroborated that the meme typically resurfaces when when there is unfavorable news involving DeGeneres.^[2] Others, such as Jenna Amatulli of HuffPost, argued that Johnson had no role in the show’s ending, writing that “people really want to believe she is”, and attributing such claims to conjecture.^[31]

Following the allegations, the show’s subsequent cancellation, and increased scrutiny of DeGeneres’s public persona, Johnson’s interview has been reassessed by journalists, some of whom described it as an inciting incident in the decline of her public image.^{[16][18][32][17]} While reporting on the 2020 allegations, Alex Abad-Santos of Vox labeled Johnson’s interview “a pivotal moment in the dismantling of DeGeneres’s persona as TV’s friendliest talk show host”, writing that the perception that she had been untruthful to Johnson on-air was more damaging to her reputation than some earlier controversies.^[13] Adam White of The Daily Telegraph said the interview "exposed the significant groundswell of internet animosity felt towards DeGeneres".^[18] Abad-Santos and Libby Torres of Business Insider added that the exchange prompted renewed discussion on Twitter, where users shared accounts of negative experiences with DeGeneres and resurfaced past celebrity interviews on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that were cited as evidence of awkward or unkind behavior toward guests.^[13][23] Matt Brennan of the Los Angeles Times theorized that Johnson's seemingly innocuous response captivated the public "because it crystallized the suspicion that DeGeneres’ 'authenticity' was simply an act", inadvertently revealing "the machinery of the celebrity persona, the army of producers and publicists and assistants just beyond the frame, making clear that stars are not at all like us".^[1] Laura Bradley of The Daily Beast countered that DeGeneres was more responsible for damaging her own brand than Johnson.^[30] Similarly, Tara Watson of Mamamia observed that Johnson’s interview was less a cause of the backlash than a moment that coincided with growing criticism of DeGeneres, suggesting that the conditions for a broader reassessment of her public image had already been established.^[17]

In October 2021, actress Drew Barrymore referenced the interaction on her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, while interviewing Johnson, and commended Johnson’s handling of the moment.^[24][33] In 2024, the actress said the Ellen interview will haunt her.^[34] According to Tara Watson of Mamamia, "That's not the truth, Ellen" remains "one of the most quoted celebrity phrases of all time".^[17] Journalist and humorist Marisa Meltzer identified the interview as one of Johnson's signature factors that helped establish her as "the Queen of Sarcasm".^[34] Media outlets have noted Johnson’s reputation for challenging talk show hosts, comparing the DeGeneres interview to a 2018 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, during which she confronted host Jimmy Fallon for interrupting her while she was answering a question.^[4][35] The interview resurfaced when The Tonight Show faced its own toxic workplace allegations in 2023, prompting Sophie Lloyd of Newsweek dubbing Johnson the "queen of ending talk show careers".^[36]