Mariah Carey has addressed an "uncomfortable" moment during a 2008 interview with Ellen DeGeneres when she felt pressured by the talk show host to reveal her pregnancy.
After claims of a toxic environment behind the scenes on the show and a formal investigation - which prompted DeGeneres to release a statement last month - a clip from a 2008 interview resurfaced on social media showing an encounter between Carey and the talk show host back in 2008.
In the clip, DeGeneres can be seen challenging Carey to drink a glass of champagne, apparently in a bid to confirm speculation over her pregnancy. Carey had suffered a miscarriage before the pregnancy and would go on to miscarry that pregnancy shortly after.
In an interview with Vulture published on Monday, Carey said she did not want to "throw" anyone under the bus, but admitted she found the interview "extremely uncomfortable."
“I was extremely uncomfortable with that moment is all I can say. And I really have had a hard time grappling with the aftermath. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone because I had had a miscarriage. I don’t want to throw anyone that’s already being thrown under any proverbial bus, but I didn’t enjoy that moment” she said.
"[There] is empathy that can be applied to those moments that I would have liked to have been implemented. But what am I supposed to do?" she added, "It’s like, [sings] ‘What are you going to do?’ ”
In 2010, Carey discussed pregnancy loss in an interview with Access Hollywood, when she was still married to ex-husband Nick Cannon. "It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult," she said, "When that happened… I wasn't able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy."
They would go on to have twins, Moroccan and Monroe, in 2011.
The controversy over alleged poor behaviour on the Ellen DeGeneres show has divided opinion. While high profile friends of DeGeneres, including Katy Perry and Ashton Kutcher, have defended her, others claim to have witnessed the 'toxic' set in action. Radio host Neil Breen was among those to speak out, calling his experience on Ellen “bizarre” and claiming he was told he wasn’t allowed to “talk to her” or even look at her during her 2013 appearance on Australia’s Today show.
In a July note to staff released by Variety, DeGeneres addressed the controversy: “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case.
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“I could not have the success I’ve had without all of your contributions. My name is on the show and everything we do and I take responsibility for that. Alongside Warner Bros., we immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues.”
It was also announced that the show would remove three of its producers.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show's executive producer Andy Lassner recently took to his Instagram account to address a "rough couple of months" on the show.
“I’m back. I’ve been away for a little bit, dealing with — you know, some stuff. You may have read about it.
“But it’s when we go through these things, I guess, that we learn the most about ourselves, and maybe even [experience] some growth. But to tell you it hasn’t been rough would be a lie, and I’ve always been honest with you. So, it’s been rough. But I’m back.”
Charity Tommy's supports those who have experienced pregnancy loss. You can talk to a Tommy’s midwife for free, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm on 0800 0147 800 or email midwife@tommys.org
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