It may seem like Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres have been together for a short time, but last year they celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary, having been together for several years before they wed.
When two people are very famous, it can be difficult to have a safe and functional relationship, without the interference of tabloids and naysayers. While Ellen and Portia have had to grit their teeth through numerous unfounded scandals, they've managed to maintain a strong relationship in their public and private lives. Both have fantastic comic timing, so there must be a lot of laughs in their relationship.
Ellen broke into the stand-up comedy scene back in the 1980s, climbing the ladder until she began starring in her own highly-popular TV show in 1994. Australian-born actor and model, Portia de Rossi, hit the small screens with a role on the TV show, Ally McBeal, just as it seemed like Ellen’s TV career was winding down.
Together, they’ve been stronger than ever, supporting each other through the bumpy road that is Hollywood, and growing their unique careers along the way. Here’s the scoop on these two small screen actors, who ended up in one of the most talked-about, long-term marriages in Tinsel Town.
20 It Took Portia Three Years To Tell Ellen How She Felt
Oprah has a knack for encouraging people to speak their truth while millions of people eagerly watch. When Portia was on her show in 2005, it was no different. Despite their relationship being quite new as far as the public was concerned. Oprah got Portia to open up.
Portia candidly told Oprah, "[I knew Ellen was the one] when I first laid eyes on her, but it took me three years to actually tell her how I felt about her because I was on Ally McBeal at the time and I was not living as an openly gay person. I was closeted and very, very afraid that if I talked about being gay, it would be the end of my career. So, I wasn't about to date the most famous lesbian in the world."
19 Portia Came Out To Family Days Before The Relationship Went Public
One of the last people in her personal life that Portia told about her relationship with Ellen (or any woman) was her grandmother, who was 98 at the time. In an interview with The Advocate, de Rossi talked about her grandmother’s reaction after learning Portia was in a relationship with a woman.
Her grandmother said, “Well, this is a very bad day. Darlin’, you’re not one of those.” Portia added that about two minutes later, her grandmother went on to say, “I love you just the same” and asked if she could meet Ellen.
18 Their 2008 Wedding
On August 16, 2008, Ellen and Portia got married. They had a beautiful summer wedding. They planned their wedding very quickly since Ellen first announced their engagement just three and a half months before the big day.
It turned out that Ellen proposed shortly after the Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
17 Portia Took Ellen's Name in 2010
It’s a big decision whether or not to take someone’s name when you get married. A lot of people wait some time to think things over and then decide to process all the paperwork involved. Portia de Rossi still uses her maiden name in her professional life, but in 2010, she officially took on Ellen’s last name as her own.
16 Facing Divorce Rumours
When you’re a big couple with two famous counterparts, the tabloids are going to speculate. Whether there is any truth to what they’re saying (or not) doesn’t take away the sting of seeing negative stories.
In 2013 and 2014, Ellen and Portia were constantly on the cover of tabloid magazines that focused on the demise of their marriage. More than five years later, they’re still together. Ellen tried to joke about the rumors on her show. She said she saw a magazine cover suggesting they were splitting and said, “Oh, what happened? They seemed so happy.”
15 Ellen's 60th Birthday Present
Ellen makes everything a celebration on her show; it’s probably why people enjoy watching her so much. When it was time for Ellen to celebrate her birthday live on the air, Portia took the opportunity to surprise Ellen with a touching present.
Portia shared with Ellen (and the studio audience) a video showcasing a gorilla sanctuary in Rwanda. It was being built to celebrate both Ellen and her personal hero, Dian Fossey.
14 Tabloids On Ellen's Spending Spree
Some tabloids have reported on Ellen’s lavish spending habits. The truth is that Ellen has a lot of money that she can spend on whatever she wants. She uses a lot of it to help important charities.
While these tabloid rumors about Ellen’s ‘scary spending spree’ have been debunked, the stories suggested that Portia was ready to leave her wife because of Ellen's careless spending.
Ellen has spoken up on her show about her attitude surrounding money after she became successful, saying, “I am always going to just get what I want because I know there is an abundance and I will always have enough. That’s how I live my life. You shouldn’t live your life in fear of money.”
13 On Being A Hollywood Elite Power Couple
As a hardworking power couple with years of Hollywood fame, Ellen and Portia have a lot of money. In 2019, it was estimated that Ellen was worth 490 million dollars and growing, whereas Portia is said to have around 20 million in the bank (which is a lot but doesn’t seem like it, next to her wife’s big income).
12 Portia's Romantic Past
While Portia was once married to a man, for what was said to be a ‘Green Card’ type of marriage, she also cared deeply for him. What was hard was breaking up her relationship with singer Francesca Gregorini so she could pursue the deep feelings she had for Ellen. Portia has said it was difficult to uproot her life to go for their relationship together, but clearly, it’s paid off.
11 Their Rescue Animals
Ellen and Portia are both animal lovers; this is perhaps one of the many reasons they connected as soon as they met. Both Ellen and Portia are vegans and have owned numerous rescue cats and dogs. When she was growing up, Ellen thought she might want to be a vet and the star is constantly posting photos of her canine and feline family on social media, for all to see.
10 They Flip Properties Together
In addition to being a famous talk show host and television star, Ellen and Portia also dabble in real estate. The pair of them are quite talented at it, having flipped tons of California-based properties. They sell homes they’ve renovated and remodeled to other rich and famous people, including Napster co-founder, Sean Parker, and celeb, Ryan Seacrest.
9 Portia's Decision To Quit Acting
In 2018, Portia came on Ellen’s show to talk about her decision to stop acting. Portia told the audience and her wife, "I was approaching 45 and I just kind of was wondering if there was something that I could tackle now, that I've never done before, that would be really challenging and different," she told her wife. "I kind of knew what acting would look like for me for the next 10, 20 years, so I decided to quit and start a business."
While Portia has slowed down her acting in recent years, she was still working on Arrested Development in 2019. Time will tell if she returns to acting again, in 2020 and beyond.
8 Their Age Difference
Reports on the average age difference between heterosexual married couples show that the man is usually 2.3 years older than his female partner. While there has been less time to amass statistics on same-sex marriages, Ellen and Portia are not likely to fall within the average range. Ellen is 15 years older than Portia, but they’ve managed to make it work for over a decade, so who are we to balk at the age difference?
7 Ellen's Romantic Past
While Ellen’s four-year relationship with fellow actor, Anne Heche, was tabloid fodder, her other long-term relationship (with photographer Alexandra Hedison) is often forgotten, but it was a notable part of her past. Ellen and Alexandra were also together for four years, and Ellen ended her relationship with Alexandra to pursue a romance with Portia.
6 Soulmates Making It Work
Ellen and Portia are very vocal about sharing their love for each other with the public and celebrating their bond. Ellen told People Magazine of their relationship, "She surprises me all the time. It's what anyone experiences when you find that person that gets you, wants to take care of you, wants the best for you. We're really lucky because we know how rare it is."
5 On Being LGBTQ Role Models
Both Portia’s and Ellen’s coming outs were public, with Ellen coming out live on her TV show and making television history, and de Rossi coming out publicly when her relationship with Ellen became serious.
They relate well to the struggles that others in the industry have gone through, including people like Kate McKinnon. During the Golden Globes, McKinnon, who is a comedian, shared how Ellen had impacted her life and made being an open lesbian less scary when she was growing up.
To date, endless people consider Ellen and Portia role models.
4 Ellen's Golden Globe
This past weekend, Ellen was honored when she received the Carol Burnett Award at the 2020 Golden Globes. This award was created last year, when Carol Burnett received it, with the recipient selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
A statement released by HFPA President, Lorenzo Soria, said of Ellen and her work, “From her sitcoms to stand-up, to becoming a household staple on daytime television, she is a pioneer who has captivated audiences for nearly 25 years with her undeniable charm and wit. In addition to her television success, she's an advocate and philanthropist, lending her voice to those who don't have one, and spreading kindness and joy through the power of her platform."
3 How They Support Two Unique Careers Together
All successful relationships are about giving and taking, and Ellen and Portia’s relationship is no different. In 2017, Ellen told Good Housekeeping, “Portia understands me completely. In our vows, she recited a quote — 'It is good to be loved. It is profound to be understood' — and to me, that's everything. What 'I love you' really means is 'I understand you,' and she loves me for everything that I am. She supports me and makes me happy."
2 Ellen Putting People On The Spot
Being on Ellen’s show means you’ll be put on the spot, no matter who you are. Guests, including Dakota Johnson and Blake Shelton, have made a point of publicly calling Ellen out, by talking about how she ignored their invitations to events.
Ellen tries to make it seem like she isn't invited to these things or has problems with her digital calendar. I wonder who messed up the RSVP on the family Google Calendar when Ellen missed Dakota’s 30th birthday party to watch a football game with a former US president.
1 What Comes Next As The Clock Ticks On The Ellen Show
Talk keeps coming about when Ellen is going to retire from her talk show, particularly now that she is 61 years old and has been hosting for 17 seasons and counting. Some believe 2020 will be the year that she winds down her career. The odds are that, when Ellen is set to step away from the stage, she will dedicate her time and efforts towards charitable causes.
Ellen has been connected with over 51 charities and 31 causes including animals, cancer, AIDS & HIV, anti-bullying, LGBTQ support, voter education, and more.
Sources: CNN, Good Housekeeping, People Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, Refinery 29, Gossip Cop, E Online, Insider
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGhpaWWjqr%2BxvsisoKefXZuupMDSZpibp6Wpeqa4y56lZpyVnLKvsdGeqmaZnpl6sbvRraCaZZSaerO70qygrGWimrmiwMiopaygmaV8