Gladys Hardy

Gladys Hardy, a self-described straight talker whose very existence has never been confirmed, shot to prominence at 88 after an unlikely connection to Ellen DeGeneres and one houseplant. She phoned The Ellen DeGeneres Show to protest a potted plant that sat directly behind the host’s head on camera, insisting the placement made DeGeneres resemble Alfalfa. DeGeneres phoned Hardy back at her Austin, Texas, residence, and the resulting exchange was posted on YouTube, instantly turning the octogenarian into an online sensation. The quip that left DeGeneres doubled over—“I Love Jesus But I Drink a Little”—became the title of Hardy’s first comedy album, issued by Warner Bros. Nashville in early 2008. Rising visibility prompted The Austin American-Statesman to investigate whether any such person existed; after failing to locate a Gladys Hardy anywhere in Austin or its suburbs, the paper suggested the KLBJ morning show might have created the character, noting that Hardy had also appeared on that station’s airwaves. The performer’s official website supplied further suspicion through repeated references to a relative named “Scott,” widely believed to be Scott Hardy, who supplied voice work on Larry the Cable Guy’s Christmastime in Larryland, another Warner Bros. Nashville release.