Ellen DeGeneres is speaking out about the race riots happening across America in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The 62-year-old posted a video on Monday, that appeared to be filmed from her backyard in Los Angeles, where she got visibly upset and emotional as she stumbled over her words, and admitted that she didn’t ‘know what to say.’
The post comes a day after DeGeneres was called out by CNN‘s Don Lemon, who urged her and other A-List stars to take more action, saying some celebrities were more concerned with how it would hurt ‘their brand’ to take a stance.
Finally speaking out: Ellen DeGeneres holds back tears as she addresses race riots on Monday… after CNN’s Don Lemon called on her to take action
‘So, I have been posting my thoughts and my stance, on this, but I haven’t spoken directly because I don’t know what to say,’ DeGeneres began.
‘I am so sad, and I am so angry, and, I know I’m not going to say the right thing, and I know that there are gonna be a lot of people who are gonna be, in disagreement with what I say.’
‘But, I have a platform and I have a voice, and I have always stood for equality, I have always wanted to be a voice for people who felt like they didn’t have a voice.
‘Because I know what that feels like, and maybe you don’t agree with how it’s coming out, but you have to understand it, and then we can heal it,’ she added, while taking a number of pauses.
‘I just… I’m just…, so sorry, that it’s come to this. I really don’t know what to say other than, this has gone on way, way, way too long. People have gotten away with murder, and that’s what’s happening.’
Holding back tears: Ellen appeared to be emotional during the video
Filmed from her backyard: The TV host spoke to fans about the race riots across America
Speaking up: Ellen encouraged her fans to ‘get informed’
‘So we’ve gotta see fairness, and we’ve gotta see justice for all, because right now this is not a fair world, not at all, I don’t know if it will ever be completely fair.’
‘But we have a long way to go to even get close to being fair. And if you don’t understand this, then you have never felt as though you weren’t heard or that you weren’t equal.’
DeGeneres finished the video by pledging that everyone find ‘peace and communication.’
Call to the stars: Don Lemon put pressure on celebs like Ellen to speak out
The talk-show host also provided a link urging fans to make a donation and ‘get informed.’
Meanwhile on CNN on Sunday, Lemon had said: ‘A lot of people I ask to come on this show, to talk about this, [such as] wealthy celebrities, wealthy political people, [say], ‘I can’t do it. I’m mad. I don’t want people to see me mad. It might hurt my business. I’m so upset that I had to go to my country house,'”
‘Where are you? Why aren’t you fighting for these young people? If you don’t do it now, when are you going to do it? … if you are a millionaire or a gazillionare or a movie star or a politician and you don’t step up now, when the hell are you going to do it?”
‘I hate that. You are your brand. Step up, people. Step up, Black Hollywood,’ Lemon added, explaining that ‘Beyoncé released a message, you can’t?’
‘By me calling out your name, it doesn’t mean I’m calling you out. It means I love you, Ellen [DeGeneres]. It means I love you, Oprah,’ he stated, adding ‘I know they give millions of dollars to charity every year.’