Ellen DeGeneres Stuck Outside White House After Forgetting Her ID

WASHINGTON, DC — TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was in D.C. Tuesday to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House along with numerous other artists, scientists and philanthropists, but she forgot her ID. No matter -- surely such a famous face as hers would get in anyway? No dice, as it turns out.

Instead, DeGeneres had to wait outside as Secret Service confirmed her identity. She tweeted a picture of herself at 12:10 p.m. sitting on a bench looking sheepish, saying: "They haven't let me in to the White House yet because I forgot my ID. #NotJoking."

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait too long. At 1:18 p.m., she tweeted "I'm in," along with a video of everyone inside -- including her -- performing the "mannequin challenge."

DeGeneres and 20 other people were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama during a ceremony in the White House. It is the highest civilian honor in the United States, and is presented to those 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 White House said in a statement.

Those honored at the ceremony besides DeGeneres included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill and Melinda Gates, Robert de Niro, Tom Hanks, Michael Jordan, Lorne Michaels, Robert Redford, Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross, to name a few.

They haven't let me in to the White House yet because I forgot my ID. #NotJoking#PresidentialMedalOfFreedom pic.twitter.com/sHocwqChKV
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 22, 2016

I'm in. pic.twitter.com/oU344pnYsH
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 22, 2016

© Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com