Ellen DeGeneres is facing a lawsuit for negligence following a car accident that allegedly occurred in October 2023 in Santa Barbara County, California. The former talk show host is accused of running a stop sign and colliding with another vehicle.

According to court documents, the plaintiff claims she stopped at an intersection controlled by stop signs in all directions and checked for oncoming traffic before proceeding. The lawsuit alleges that DeGeneres then entered the intersection without stopping and "t-boned" the woman's car.

The plaintiff is suing DeGeneres for general negligence, claiming she suffered "multiple serious personal injuries and damages" as a result of the collision. These alleged damages include lost wages, hospital and medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and anxiety. The lawsuit accuses DeGeneres of "negligent conduct" that fell below the standard of care of a reasonable person, contributing to the collision. The plaintiff is seeking an unspecified amount in compensatory damages.

As of September 13, 2025, DeGeneres's legal representatives have not issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.

This legal development comes after DeGeneres's talk show ended in 2022, following accusations of a toxic workplace environment. DeGeneres addressed those claims in 2020, stating that she was sorry for the people affected and that things happened that should not have. After the show's end, DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, relocated to the Cotswolds in England. DeGeneres has stated that the increasingly contentious political climate in the United States and Donald Trump's return to the White House were huge factors in their decision to move.