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Emily Ratajkowski defends Taylor Swift after controversial footage resurfaces

"This is so f**ked up."
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Remember in 2020 when COVID was rampant and Ellen DeGeneres was being cancelled over workplace bullying claims? Yes, it really was a dumpster fire of a year. 

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While the Ellen criticism has waned over the years, it has never fully disappeared – even after the host called time on her self-titled show.

WATCH: Emily Ratajkowski Addresses Her Sexuality In TikTok

American model Emily Ratajkowski, 31, is the latest to take aim at the talk show host after old footage of hers resurfaced on TikTok.

The clips, which featured Ellen making singer-songwriter Taylor Swift uncomfortable, prompted the model to write: “This is so f**ked up. She’s literally begging her to stop.”

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What was the footage that incited such a response, you ask? Well, it was snippet of Taylor speaking to Zane Lowe in 2019, compared with her 2012 appearance on The Ellen Show.

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Taylor and Ellen on stage together during the 1989 tour in 2015. (Credit: Getty)

In the former clip, the Midnights singer said: “When I was 23 and people were just making slideshows of my dating life and putting people in there that I’d sat next to at a party once and deciding that my song-writing was a trick rather than a skill or a craft.

“It’s a way to take a woman who’s succeeding at her job and it’s figuring out how to completely minimise that skill.”

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And then came the latter clip with Ellen… which basically demonstrated exactly what Taylor was describing.

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Ellen came under fire in 2020 after workplace toxicity allegations surfaced. (Credit: Getty)

During the interview, the comedian pried into Taylor’s dating life, first asking which song on her new album was about High School Musical star Zac Efron.

Despite the Speak Now singer denying ever having dated him, the host insisted they were a thing. 

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She then suggested they play a game, which was incredibly fun for Ellen and visibly painful for her guest.

One by one, Ellen showed pictures of Taylor with various men and told her to ring a bell when a man that she had dated appeared on the screen.

The men included Taylor Lautner, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, Joe Jonas, Justin Timberlake, Ashton Kutcher, Cory Monteith, and Rob Lowe.

WATCH: Ellen DeGeneres pries into Taylor Swift’s love life. (Article continues after video)

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When Taylor repeatedly refused to engage in the game, the host grabbed the bell off her and started to ring it herself. 

“Stop it, stop it, stop,” Taylor eventually screamed, at which point Ellen gave up. “This makes me feel so bad about myself. Every time I come up here, you put a different dude up there on the screen, and it just makes me really question what I stand for as a human being.” 

Ellen first came under fire in 2020 when allegations of toxicity at her workplace hit the media sphere. 

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“I learned that things happened here that never should have happened,” the now-64-year-old told her audience after the claims surfaced.

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Em Rata called out Ellen after seeing the TikTok clips. (Credit: Getty)

She continued: “I take that very seriously, and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected. 

“I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realise that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.”

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A year later, Ellen confirmed her show was coming to an end, while insisting the decision wasn’t due to the backlash. 

“When you’re a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it’s just not a challenge anymore.”

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