A woman has filed a lawsuit accusing former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres of running a stop sign and T‑boning her vehicle in Santa Barbara County in October 2023, according to court documents obtained by TMZ and reported Friday by Page Six.
The complaint says the plaintiff was driving a Tesla and entered a multiple‑stop intersection after stopping and checking for oncoming traffic. The documents allege that DeGeneres, 67, failed to yield at a stop sign and struck the Tesla on the passenger side, causing injury to the driver. The plaintiff is suing DeGeneres for negligence and seeking unspecified damages.
The lawsuit, as described in the reporting, cites the driver’s account of the collision and the resulting injury. A representative for DeGeneres did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment, the outlet said. The documents were reported Friday; the complaint’s filing date was not specified in the report.
The alleged crash comes after several years of public scrutiny surrounding DeGeneres. In 2020, when workplace misconduct allegations surfaced about her now‑defunct daytime show, DeGeneres addressed viewers and said, "I learned that things happened here that never should’ve happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say I’m so sorry to the people who were affected." The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended in 2022.
In recent weeks additional former employees have spoken to news outlets about their experiences working on the show. A former cameraman told the Daily Mail that male employees were frequently replaced and suggested a fraught atmosphere for some staff. He said DeGeneres could be pleasant but alleged that staffers who were seen speaking with DeGeneres’ wife, actress Portia de Rossi, risked drawing negative attention.
Separately, DeGeneres and de Rossi left the United States after the 2024 presidential election and relocated to England. The pair settled in the Cotswolds; in July it was reported they had put an estate on the market and moved to another nearby home. De Rossi has said they left because of the election outcome, recounting that they arrived in England the day before the vote and decided to remain there. She told a British host that they found life in England "just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here."
The new lawsuit adds to a series of legal and reputational matters surrounding high‑profile entertainment figures, though the allegation in this case is a civil claim of negligence related to a traffic collision. The outcome will depend on how the courts evaluate the parties’ accounts, any available traffic or accident reports, and corroborating evidence such as witness statements or video. Court calendars and filings will determine next steps in the litigation.
No hearing date or court location was listed in the reporting referenced by Page Six. The plaintiff’s demand for damages was described as unspecified in the documents obtained by TMZ.