Look, Dakota Johnson isn’t the reason why “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is ending after its 19th season. But people really want to believe she is.
Johnson’s face and name began cropping up all over social media Wednesday after DeGeneres announced she would end her daytime talk show after nearly two decades. It was “the plan all along,” the host told The Hollywood Reporter.
Fans of Johnson and those of us who are extremely online will remember her wildly awkward interview on DeGeneres’ show back in November 2019.
When DeGeneres asked why she wasn’t invited to Johnson’s 30th birthday party that year, Johnson pushed back: “Actually no. That’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited. Last time I was on the show last year, you gave me a bunch of shit about not inviting you, but I didn’t even know you wanted to be invited. I didn’t even know you liked me!”
Johnson smirked and laughed throughout the exchange. But DeGeneres ― clearly taken aback ― uncomfortably assured the “Fifty Shades of Grey” star that “of course I like you.”
“You knew I liked you,” said DeGeneres. “You’ve been on the show many times.”
DeGeneres later quibbled with a crew member about the birthday invite. “I was invited? Why didn’t I go? Oh yeah, I had a thing. It was probably in Malibu. That’s too far for me to go ― I think I do remember I was invited. But I really didn’t remember that until just now.”
Johnson completed the moment when she said that Tig Notaro, who performed at that 30th birthday party that DeGeneres missed, was her favorite comedian.
The exchange went on to live in infamy on social media, as fans raved about Johnson “destroy[ing] Ellen’s whole career.”
And now, amid the news that the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” is ending, Johnson’s 2019 appearance is resurfacing on social media, as is conjecture that Johnson is the reason.
Without further ado, the commentary: