I forgot that Ellen is a Sunshine Sachs client. It actually shows that SS are good at what they do if they could book Ellen for the Obama tour. I know Ellen is wealthy but there are some things you simply can't buy your way into and no amount of money can buy back a good reputation. Obama as well would not like to be aligned with someone with a reputation like Ellens. I think a crucial difference there was Ellen biting the bullet and being public about her poor conduct and doing the mea culpa "I must do better-be a better person" routine. It may well have been insincere but, importantly, she did it. She likely listened to the advice she was paying handsomely for. My guess is that Obama picked up on that acknowledgement of fallability. No one is perfect and Ellen took ownership of acting cunty.
It is clear SS are good at what they do but they couldn't make a silk purse out of a sows ear no matter how much money the Sussexes threw at them. Consider how despite all the lies, bullying accusations, logical fallacies and crappy behaviour following their attempts at brand building the Sussexes have never done anything approaching the mea culpa routine. They think they have done nothing wrong and an intelligent person like Obama can see that for how deluded it is. Consequently she wouldn't go near these clowns because they stink and they just can't smell it perhaps.