Here's why Dakota Johnson memes are going viral after Ellen DeGeneres announced end of talk show

Today, Ellen DeGeneres made waves when she revealed that her longtime talk show will come to an end in 2022 after one more season.

The dramatic news, which comes on the heels of assault allegations against the show's staff, was met with a social media onslaught of Dakota Johnson memes from users on Twitter and Instagram. And now the infamous chat between the two—nearly as talked about as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah Winfrey interview—is once again making the rounds. 

Although Ellen DeGeneres revealed exclusively to The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab) that her decision to end the show is because she's looking to embark on new creative challenges, people are beginning to wonder if Johnson's 2019 appearance on the show was the beginning of the end. 

Dakota Johnson Ellen DeGeneres feud: what happened?

In November 2019, Dakota Johnson stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote her movies Suspiria and Bad Times at the El Royale. Her appearance soon garnered viral attention for its cringeworthy factor. First, Johnson was accused by the TV host of not extending her an invite to the actress's 30th birthday. The Fifty Shades of Grey star quickly clapped back, making DeGeneres visibly uncomfortable. 

“Actually no. That’s not the truth, Ellen. You were invited," Johnson said. "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!”

From there, the interview only grows more uncomfortable. 

See the Dakota Johnson Ellen DeGeneres feud below

The awkward Dakota Johnson Ellen DeGeneres dynamic certainly made fans uncomfortable, and the internet noticed immediately.  

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Reactions to Ellen ending her talk show

When the news broke of Ellen DeGeneres's departure from daytime TV, social media users were quick to revisit this notable interview. 

• See other celebrities-turned-memes, including The Weeknd, Princess Diana, and Bernie Sanders 

Ellen DeGeneres allegations and work environment

Although this less-than-favorable interview certainly has received widespread attention, the allegations against the workplace environment at The Ellen DeGeneres Show are really what deterred viewers. In a BuzzFeed (opens in new tab) exposé, allegations were made against the show's staff for sexual misconduct, intimidation, and bullying. This caused an internal investigation and ultimately led to DeGeneres making a public apology at the start of her 18th season. 

"It destroyed me, honestly," DeGeneres revealed to The Hollywood Reporter. "I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. And it makes me really sad that there’s so much joy out there from negativity."

How long has Ellen been on TV?

DeGeneres's talk show first began in 2003 and will come to an end after its 19th season, which will take place in 2022. The host has put on more than 3,000 shows and raised $70 million in charitable donations and more than $300 million in audience giveaways. 

Despite the damaging allegations that surfaced in 2020, DeGeneres claims that the reason she has decided to end her TV legacy was to pursue new creative challenges. 

"I care about the environment. I care about animals. I care about design and furniture … So, definitely people have been saying, 'Why don’t we just try to go a little longer?' But 19 years is a long time to do anything," DeGeneres said in her THR interview. 

Ellen DeGeneres's May 13th show will discuss this news alongside her longtime friend and expert interviewer, Oprah Winfrey.