Ellen has been on our television for many years, proving to be the queen of daytime television as the award-winning host of the old Ellen DeGeneres Show. This woman has accomplished a great deal, both professionally and personally. One of her most notable accomplishments was marrying her best friend, Portia De Rossi. The renowned duo has gone through a lot in their thirteen years of marriage. Here is a detailed timeline of Ellen and Portia’s relationship.
1. They met at a party in 2000.
Ellen and Portia have a charming and adorable relationship. They first met at a party in 2000 and were instantly attracted to each other. Despite being in a relationship then, Portia fell head-over-heels in love with Ellen and didn’t want to ruin their friendship by revealing her feelings. Over the years, their relationship has only grown stronger. In an interview, Portia explained that she was still closeted when she started developing feelings for Ellen. She is grateful that the two have maintained their relationship despite the challenges.
2. They reconnected four years later.
De Rossi met Ellen in 2000, and they had a brief conversation. After the meeting, De Rossi thought about Ellen often, but it was in 2004 that she ran into the comedian and felt a strong connection. The two eventually met up and had a great time chatting. De Rossi believes their meeting was a lucky coincidence, but she’s grateful for the experience.
3. Officially dating in 2004.
The two women realized their feelings for each other and decided to put their personal lives in order before anything could happen. They were both in relationships and had been for several years. However, they knew it was time to end their respective associations and move on with their lives together.
4. Going public.
The couple had been through many relationships before they came out as a couple, and they were ready to announce their connection to the world at the 2005 Golden Globes Awards party. Walking the red carpet was a big deal, but they felt happy and loved doing it together. Ellen was De Rossi’s first public appearance with a high-profile celebrity, and Portia was scared for a while, but her feelings for Ellen overcame her fear.
5. Ellen’s effect on Portia coming out as gay.
Ellen came out as gay in 1997, while Portia did not appear much later. When she was an actress in Ally McBeal, Portia recounted her conversation with Greg Germann about her sexuality. Greg asked her whether she was gay; at the time, Portia was unsure. Greg then prompted her to answer, and she realized that she had a lot of difficulties accepting her homosexuality.
6. Moving in together soon after.
This couple moved in together in 2005 after the public appearance at the 2005 Golden Globe awards. Ellen told People magazine that they enjoyed watching TV while not taking walks. They also shared with the magazine their discussions about marriage and having kids.
7. What it meant to be gay in Hollywood for the couple.
Ellen DeGeneres came out as a gay person in 1997, and things were not easy for her or for the LGBTQIA+ community at the time. Some people wrote negative articles about her and her sitcom, “Ellen,” because of this announcement. However, the character’s coming out eventually helped with ratings for a while. However, ABC eventually canceled the show due to low ratings. DeGeneres has spoken about how she hit rock bottom after the show’s cancellation but has since recovered and continues to work.
8. Their love for animals.
Portia and Ellen are two people who love animals and have done a lot of work to help rescue and help rehabilitate animals in the past. They also strongly believe in animal rights and have decided to go vegan. They adopted a vegan lifestyle sometime after witnessing their new horse interact with her cows on their farm.
9. Wedding in 2008.
In 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage was legal. This meant that Ellen and Portia could get married. Ellen planned to surprise Portia with a commitment ceremony during their joint birthday party but changed her mind after the ruling. The host proposed to Portia instead, and she said yes. The ceremony was intimate, with close friends and family in attendance. It took place at their LA home, where they exchanged vows while seated on floor pillows in their living room.
10. Buying homes together.
In 2007, Ellen and Portia bought a mansion in Montecito, California, for $15 million. They later sold it to Heath Ledger after one year. In 2008, Ellen and Portia purchased a 9,200-square-foot property for $29 million. This property would be the home they would get married in later that year. They also sold that home in 2012 to celebrity host and producer Ryan Seacrest for $37 million. Ellen has said they had plenty of fun memories in it. She said the property was gorgeous, and they both loved it there. After that, the couple bought a horse ranch in Thousand Oaks, California, for $8.5 million.
