Ellen DeGeneres is clapping back at all those "mean girl" allegations ... which created controversy on her talk show, and ultimately contributed to her walking away from it.
The comedian addressed the controversial label attached to her during a recent stand-up show in Santa Rosa, California ... reportedly telling the near-capacity crowd, "I am many things, but I am not mean."
According to SFGATE, while Ellen stood up for herself, she did acknowledge, "I can be demanding, impatient, and tough. I am a strong woman."
You'll recall ... ED left her famed talk show in 2022 following allegations from former staffers about a toxic workplace -- a scandal she told the crowd helped break down some of her walls.
Ellen's been opening up a lot more about the whole thing recently ... during a standup gig last month, she came clean about the impact of being ousted from Hollywood over accusations of being toxic.
She said she avoided the news that painted her as this one-dimensional, horrible character ... saying the aftermath took a toll on her self-esteem -- but, obviously, she's recovered enough to be making jokes about the scandal.
It's something she'll delve into further in her upcoming stand-up special, hitting Netflix in the Fall.