Greyson Chance, one of Ellen DeGeneres‘s former protégés, said he’s never met somebody more deceitful, self-centered, and brazenly opportunistic than his former boss.

The Oklahoma native, now 25, opened up in an explosive interview with Rolling Stone published on Thursday about his life and career since a video of him singing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” in front of his classmates went viral in May 2010 and landed him on DeGeneres’ now-defunct talk show.

As he explained to the magazine, my friends and I could not believe what was happening. We had no idea what to expect, and Ellen was the one who helped calm our nerves and steady our nerve-wracking excitement.

According to the singer, DeGeneres promised him protection during their first meeting. When you need me, I’ll be right here. We’re in this together and will finish it.

She quickly signed Chance as the first artist to her newly founded record company, eleven eleven, distributed by Interscope Geffen A&M Records. She also helped him get connected with influential people in the industry, such as a booking agent, publicist, and brand agency.

Chance dropped a four-song EP in October of 2010. He stated that DeGeneres grew overbearing and dictatorial as his tour schedule intensified.

One text message from her may completely alter the course of my week, month, or even year. He called that appalling and claimed to have instantly realized that only DeGeneres’ judgment counted.

However, a source close to DeGeneres disputes Chance’s recall of the connection and claims the comedian went out of her way to help the young singer, despite the fact that not every career can be a success.

Advertisement

DeGeneres, 64, got an early copy of Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never documentary while Chance was on tour as Miranda Cosgrove’s opening act. Chance, weary at the time, claims that DeGeneres insisted he watches it immediately so that he might emulate the pop superstar’s meteoric rise to fame.