Ellen has heavily criticised for her friendship with the former Republican president.
In October, Ellen DeGeneres faced a backlash after it emerged that she had a friendship with the former Republican president George W. Bush. The criticism stemmed from the anti-gay policies he implemented during his presidency, as well as the invasion of Iraq.
Ellen has since defended the friendship, explaining: “I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have.” And Elton John also gave her his backing, saying: “George Bush has made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. Ellen DeGeneres has made a lot of mistakes. People need to come together.”
“They need to respect people’s view on life. Except when it’s heresy, and I don’t think George Bush is that kind of guy.”
During an interview with Today, which was conducted by George Bush’s daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, Michelle Obama was asked about her friendships with Ellen and the former US president.
“I had an opportunity to sit by your father at funerals, the highs and the lows, and we shared stories about our kids and about our parents,” Michelle explained.
She also echoed some of Ellen’s views on having friendships with different beliefs, saying: “Our values are the same. We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity, we don’t disagree about love and compassion.
“I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.”