For the first time ever, Greyson Chance opened up about Ellen DeGeneres in an interview with Rolling Stone, and he also said that it was the last time he was going to delve into the topic.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter was reportedly nervous and unsure about how to start the conversation, which he’s been meaning to get off his chest for more than five years.
“I figured we could start with this,” Chance began then cued up the video for his latest single entitled “My Dying Spirit.”
He sang,
“I’m barely on my feet, mama. I’m barely holding on by a thread.”
The “Waiting Outside the Lines” singer then proceeded on sharing about the trauma that he felt as a teenager after being discovered and “completely abandoned” by DeGeneres.
“I’ve never met someone more manipulative, more self-centered, and more blatantly opportunistic than her,” he said about the television host.
Chance was only 12 years old when he went viral after his performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” was uploaded online. A week after, his mom received a call about DeGeneres wanting her son on the show the next day.
On the day of his appearance in ‘The Ellen Show,’ the singer said that the comedian presented herself as his and his mother, Lisa’s guardian and mentor.
“I remember her pulling my mom aside and saying, ‘You’re never going to have to work again a day in your life,'” he recalled.
Chance also shared that DeGeneres assured him:
“I’m going to protect you. I’m going to be here for you. We’re going to do this together.”
Five months after signing with her, he released a mini EP in October 2010, and the singer said that she was always a phone call or dinner date away during that time. However, she also “became domineering and way too controlling.”
He also shared an occasion wherein the TV host wanted him to watch the advance copy of Justin Bieber’s ‘Never Say Never’ documentary, but Chance said that he was exhausted after touring as an opening for Miranda Cosgrove on tour, and he didn’t make watching it a top priority.
According to him, DeGeneres then called his mom, and he recalled their conversation saying,
“I’ll never forget this. I just remember hearing on the other side of the phone, just yelling [and] beratement: ‘What type of mother are you? Do you realize that I went out of my way to get this for you, and he can’t sit down and watch it?'”
“People forgot how old he was. [Ellen] was not very happy that he hadn’t watched it because she thought that it was important for him to guide his career based on what Justin was doing. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but she was berating,” Chance’s mother, Lisa, expressed.
The singer also shared his conversation with DeGeneres at the time, wherein she said to him:
“Disappointed isn’t even remotely what I’m feeling right now.”
And so he ended up watching the documentary film expressing,
“It was clear that, ‘OK, I’m a pawn in your game.’ So I watched the movie.”
Fast forward to November 2012 when Chance released his second project, Truth Be Told, Part 1, under DeGeneres’ label. However, the singer said that she “completely abandoned” him after it tanked, and the key people in his team eventually followed suit.
He said that he tried calling her, but never heard back from the TV host.
“I couldn’t get ahold of her. Couldn’t talk to her. Whenever I would come on the show, it was such a fake smile. She wouldn’t even ask, ‘How are you doing? How are you holding up?’ It was just like, ‘Here’s what we’re going to talk about. We’ll see you on there,'” the singer shared about his experience on returning in ‘The Ellen Show’ several times after 2012.
Thoughts on these revelations?
Moving on, Chance recently released his album Palladium, and here’s the emotional music video of his song “My Dying Spirit.”
I hope he becomes more popular and his career soars. His music & voice are one of my faves. Especially love him more since he came out as gay. Sending love to him!