Highlights Of Ellen DeGeneres And Wife Portia De Rossi's Relationship

Jan 07, 2020 by apost team

Portia De Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres have been together in a loving relationship for almost two decades now.

They first met at a party in 2000, and sparks flew. However, although Ellen had been publically out for a long time at that point, Portia was still hiding her true sexuality. She was currently in a relationship with a man, Francesca Gregorini, and was terrified that if she showed any interest in one of the most famous lesbians of all time that her career would be adversely affected.

“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," she told Oprah Winfrey.

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The couple got a second chance in 2004 when they met again in Los Angeles at the VHI Big Awards. Portia had struggled for many years with her sexuality at that point but was finally ready to start accepting it.

The two women started dating and in 2005 Portia finally openly admitted she was a lesbian during an interview with The Advocate.

Soon, the couple was living together and shortly after same-sex marriage was legalized in 2008 they got married in a small, intimate ceremony. Wayne Dyer, a philosopher, officiated and said:

"Today we have taken a giant step forward toward the ideal that all of us, with no exceptions, are not only created equal, but we each have the unalienable right to pursue our own happiness."

Portia legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres in recognition of their loving bond.

In 2014, rumors of a divorce surfaced; rather than being upset, the couple laughed and realized this meant that same-sex couples were finally being truly accepted. Portia told US News Weekly that:

“The divorce rumors came, and then we really knew the perceptions had changed. I’m not kidding. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when that started happening, I thought, ‘Oh, now we’re finally accepted.’ We get the same s–t as every celebrity couple,” told Portia US Weekly.

In 2018, on Ellen's 60th birthday, Portia went to the extra effort to give her the best gift ever. Ellen's hero is environmentalist Diane Fossey. On Ellen's show, Portia showed up and on stage said:

"It's your 60th birthday, and this gift had to be really special, and it had to represent who you are and what you really care about. Not just now, but what you've always cared about. What you were influenced by and what has made you the amazing person that you are today."

Ellen's response was perfect; she said "It's good to be loved. It's profound to be understood."

The couple celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary on August 16, 2018. Portia posted a slideshow of the many events of their happy day while Ellen opted to post a video of the couple enjoying a rollercoaster ride in 2010, captioned as

“Life is a roller coaster. I’m glad I’m sitting next to you, Portia de Rossi.”

This loving couple is sharing a profound, loving, long-term relationship. If the story of their relationship has moved you, why not talk about it with people you know? Be sure to pass this article on to your friends and family.