Ellen DeGeneres' friendship with former president George W. Bush has got Hollywood up in arms and taking sides.

DeGeneres stood up for her friendship with the former president on her show Tuesday after catching heat for sitting next to him during Sunday's matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.

"I’m friends with George Bush. In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different and I think that we've forgotten that that’s OK," she said. "When I say 'be kind to one another,' I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn’t matter."

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DeGeneres' plea for tolerance drew praise from some famous faces, including Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Bell and Blake Shelton, but others said Bush isn't off the hook.

Mark Ruffalo, for instance, seemed green with rage following Ellen DeGeneres’ support of George W. Bush.

"Sorry, until George W. Bush is brought to justice for the crimes of the Iraq War, (including American-lead torture, Iraqi deaths & displacement, and the deep scars–emotional & otherwise–inflicted on our military that served his folly), we can’t even begin to talk about kindness," tweeted "The Avengers" star Wednesday.

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He wasn't the only celebrity upset with DeGeneres for trying to find middle ground with Bush following his polarizing political past. "Dead Man Walking" star Susan Sarandon also took issue.

The outspoken liberal shared a quote from Out Magazine, saying, "Missing the point entirely, DeGeneres framed the issue as simply a matter of her hanging out with someone with different opinions, not a man repeatedly accused of being a war criminal."

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Jameela Jamil of the "The Good Place" said she understands the controversy after researching Bush more.

"Ooooof learning today about the full extent of Bush’s heinous presidency," the Brit wrote in a tweet. "We weren’t taught much about him at school, we just heard he was stupid...(we were dealing with our own epic nightmare of a prime minister back then). What a monstrous leader. I now understand the rage.."

On the other hand, Jamil's "Good Place" co-star Bell shared side-by-side pictures of DeGeneres and Bush on her Instagram account. The actress wrote: "Shes my (queen)." Witherspoon tweeted, "Thank you for this important reminder, Ellen!"

Both actresses received backlash for their support, leading Witherspoon to delete her tweet entirely. Bell's post remains on Instagram.

"This post would automatically get you sent to the Bad Place," an Instagram user responded to Bell, while a Twitter user told Witherspoon, "This reeks of privilege."

Bell's husband, Dax Shepard added his support of Ellen, writing "PREACH!" in reply to a clip of the host defending her friendship with Bush on her show.

Shelton tweeted, "Amen @TheEllenShow... Thank you for saying this." One of his followers responded, "Please stay out of this, Blake."

Fellow "Voice" coach and Shelton's significant other Gwen Stefani took to Twitter to show her support for DeGeneres as well.

"@TheEllenShow I love u Gx," she wrote.

British TV personality Piers Morgan said he approved of DeGeneres' message, though he doesn't always support the comedian.

"I'm not a fan of Ms Saccharine, but she's bang on here. When did we lose the ability to be friends with people who hold different opinions? Ridiculous.

"MythBusters" host Kari Byron tweeted she too has friends with different perspectives.

"Respect," she wrote. "I have lots of friends with different backgrounds and different views. Understanding starts with and open heart. #kindness"

Music mogul Scooter Braun said DeGeneres' friendship with Bush makes him appreciate her even more.

"Another reason why I love Ellen!" he tweeted. "@TheEllenShow bravo."

Contributing: Charles Trepany

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