Ellen DeGeneres Forgets Her ID, Denied Entry Into White House

Who said celebrities get special treatment? Ellen DeGeneres is feeling like the common folk today after she was denied entry into the White House because she didn’t have proper identification. Oops!

The comedian, 58, tweeted:

The daytime talk show host is one of 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “In 1997, after coming out herself, DeGeneres made TV history when her character on Ellen revealed she was a lesbian,” the White House said earlier this month when naming DeGeneres. “In her work and in her life, she has been a passionate advocate for equality and fairness.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor, presented “to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

The awards are being presented in Washington, D.C., today. Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks, Michael Jordan, Diana Ross, Robert Redford, and Bill and Melinda Gates are also among the other recipients this year.

Fortunately, Ellen did somehow manage to get inside. Of course, she shared a video from the White House of the recipients and their guests taking part in the mannequin challenge.