Ellen Lee DeGeneres (/dəˈdʒɛnərəs/də-JEN-ər-əs; born January 26, 1958)[1][2] is an American retired comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She starred in the television sitcomsEllen (1994–1998) andThe Ellen Show (2001–2002). She also hosted thesyndicated television talk show,The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022), for which she received 33Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2021, DeGeneres announced the end ofThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, following multiple allegations of workplace bullying. The controversy led to internal investigations and a sharp decline in public support, culminating in her decision to retire from the talk show in 2022.[3]
When she was 15 or 16 years old, DeGeneres wasmolested by her stepfather.[16][17] Gruessendorf used her mother's recent breast cancer diagnosis as an excuse to touch her inappropriately, saying he needed to examine her breasts for lumps. Eventually, he tried to break down her door andsexually assault her, prompting her to run away from home and spend the night in a hospital.[18] DeGeneres told her mother about the abuse a few years later, but Betty did not believe her, and remained married to Gruessendorf for 18 years afterward. She finally realized that DeGeneres had been telling the truth when his accounts of his behavior toward his stepdaughter kept changing.[19] Gruessendorf died in 1997.[citation needed]
DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy at small clubs and coffee houses. By 1981, she was theemcee at Clyde's Comedy Club in New Orleans. DeGeneres citesWoody Allen andSteve Martin as her main influences at this time.[21] In the early 1980s she began to tour nationally, and in 1984 she was namedShowtime's funniest person in America.[22] DeGeneres listsLucille Ball,Carol Burnett andBob Newhart among her comedic influences.[23]
After a 15-year hiatus from performing comedy, DeGeneres appeared in a 2018Netflix stand-up special,Relatable.[24][25] She released another special,For Your Approval, through Netflix in September 2024.[26]
Film career
Ellen's work in the late 1980s and early 1990s included the filmConeheads. DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show namedEllen's Energy Adventure, which was part of theUniverse of Energy attraction and pavilion atWalt Disney World'sEpcot. The film also featuredBill Nye,Alex Trebek,Michael Richards, andJamie Lee Curtis. The show revolved around DeGeneres's falling asleep and finding herself in an energy-themed version ofJeopardy!, playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, andAlbert Einstein. The next film had DeGeneres co-hosting an educational look at energy with Nye. The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, asEllen's Energy Crisis, but was quickly given the more positive-sounding nameEllen's Energy Adventure. The ride closed permanently on August 13, 2017.
DeGeneres came out in Time magazine in April 1997.
DeGeneres's first regular TV role was in a short-lived Fox sitcom calledOpen House in 1989,[29] a spin-off of the showDuet.[30] She played the role of Margo Van Meter, a receptionist at the Juan Verde Real Estate company.[30][31] The show co-starredAlison LaPlaca andMary Page Keller. In 1992, producersNeal Marlens andCarol Black cast DeGeneres in their sitcomLaurie Hill, in the role of Nurse Nancy MacIntyre.[32] The series was canceled after only four episodes, but Marlens and Black soon cast her in their next ABC pilot,These Friends of Mine, which they co-created withDavid S. Rosenthal.[33][34]
Inspired by her comedy career,These Friends of Mine was renamedEllen after the first season.[35] TheABC show was popular in its first few seasons due in part to DeGeneres's style ofobservational humor; it was often referred to as a "femaleSeinfeld".[36]
Ellen reached its height of popularity in April 1997, when DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on the cover ofTime (with the headline, "Yep, I'm gay") and subsequentlyThe Oprah Winfrey Show. Her character on the sitcom alsocame out ofthe closet to hertherapist, played byOprah Winfrey.[37] The coming-out episode, titled "The Puppy Episode", was one of the highest-rated episodes of the show. The series returned for a fifth season but experienced fallingratings and was canceled.[38][39]
DeGeneres returned to television in 2001 with a newCBS sitcom,The Ellen Show, which was canceled after 13 episodes. In 2007, a former writer said she treated the writers "like shit" saying "Why do you keep writing these unfunny jokes?"[40][41] After her sitcoms, DeGeneres would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host.
2003–2017
DeGeneres in Los Angeles, California, in January 2004
DeGeneres launched a daytime television talk show,The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in September 2003.[42] One of several celebrity-hosted talk shows surfacing at the beginning of that season, including those ofSharon Osbourne andRita Rudner,[43] her show has consistently risen in theNielsen ratings and received widespread critical praise.[citation needed] It was nominated for 12Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season,[44] winning four, including Best Talk Show.[45] The show won 25Emmy Awards for its first three seasons on the air.[46] For much of the duration of the show, DeGeneres was known for dancing with the audience at the beginning of the show and during commercial breaks. She often gave away free prizes and trips to be in her show's studio audience with the help of her sponsors. DeGeneres later stated that she stopped dancing as it became an expectation and too much of a burden.[47]
DeGeneres celebrated her thirty-year class reunion by flying her graduating class to California to be guests on her show in February 2006. She presented Atlanta High School with a surprise gift of a new electronicLED marquee sign. DeGeneres made a surprise appearance atTulane University's May 2006 commencement in New Orleans. FollowingGeorge H. W. Bush andBill Clinton to the podium, she appeared in a bathrobe and furry slippers. "They told me everyone would be wearing robes," she said. Ellen made anothercommencement speech at Tulane in 2009.[48]
The show broadcast for a week from Universal Studios Orlando in March 2007. Skits included DeGeneres going on the Hulk Roller Coaster Ride[49] and the Jaws Boat Ride.[50] DeGeneres was placed onbed rest in May 2007 due to a torn ligament in her back. She continued hosting her show from a hospital bed, tended to by a nurse, explaining "the show must go on, as they say." Guests sat in hospital beds as well.[51] On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated her 1000th episode with celebrity guests such asOprah Winfrey,Justin Timberlake andParis Hilton, among others.[52]Jennifer Aniston and Justin Timberlake surprised DeGeneres on her 2,000th show in December 2015.[53]
DeGeneres replacedPaula Abdul as a judge on theninth season ofAmerican Idol. Her role started after the contestant auditions, at the beginning of "Hollywood Week".[54][55] It is reported that DeGeneres also signed a contract to be a judge on the show for at least five seasons.[56] She made herAmerican Idol debut on February 9, 2010. However, on July 29, 2010, DeGeneres and Fox executives announced that the comedian would be leavingAmerican Idol after one season. In a statement, DeGeneres said that the series "didn't feel like the right fit for me".[57]
DeGeneres began hosting theNBC game showEllen's Game of Games during the2017–2018 television season. Based on games played on her talk show, the series previewed on December 18, 2017, with regular episodes starting the following January.[58] It would run for four total seasons until May 2021, with its cancellation announced in January 2022.[59]
2018–2022
The New York Times profiled DeGeneres in 2018 as she faced the decision of renewing her talk-show contract and was exploring other outlets for her creativity, including herNetflix comedy specialRelatable, which spoofs her kind image.[47] They noted she felt boxed in with a reputation of always being nice, and the host who danced all the time.[47] DeGeneres—who acknowledges that she has always been overly sensitive—fretted how her audience would react when she no longer wanted to dance.[47] HerChristian Scientist upbringing included her father'spsyche, "He was a very fearful man, he couldn't hear or engage with anything unpleasant."[47]
In 2019,Time created 89 new covers to celebrate women of the year starting from 1920; it chose DeGeneres for 1997.[60]
Allegations of on-set bullying and retirement
In March 2020, comedian andpodcasterKevin T. Porter had published a thread on Twitter in which he called DeGeneres "notoriously one of the meanest people alive", and asked other Twitter users to post "stories you've heard about Ellen being mean", pledging to donate two dollars to the Los Angeles Food Bank for each post.[61] The thread quickly wentviral, with several posts alleging situations where DeGeneres had been unkind (such as for firing people who greeted her or looked her in the eyes).[62]
In July 2020, ten former employees ofThe Ellen DeGeneres Show accused DeGeneres of creating a "toxic" on-set atmosphere of "racism, fear, and intimidation", including failing to address executivessexually harassing female employees and making "racistmicro-aggressions and abuse" to or about employees of color, firing employees for takingmedical and bereavement leave, and replacing her own crew with non-union workers during the early days of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[63][64] The allegations, which the employees made anonymously toBuzzFeed News, followed previous reports of hostile and bullying behavior, such as a former employee's allegation that DeGeneres fired him for setting up aGoFundMe page to cover medical costs not covered by their workplace health insurance.[64][65]
Later that month,Telepictures, a unit ofWarner Bros. Entertainment, released an interoffice memo that they would launch an internal investigation, employing WarnerMedia's employee relations team and a third-party consultant to conduct confidential interviews with current and former employees about their experiences onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show.[66] DeGeneres issued a statement to her staff taking responsibility for the workplace culture on the show and pledging to "correct the issues".[67][68]WarnerMedia began an investigation.[69] DeGeneres apologized to her staff, releasing a statement reading, "On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' would be a place of happiness—no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it's the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show."[67]
Following the investigation, three executives left (Kevin A. Leman II, Ed Glavin, and Jonathon Norman), and the show vowed to take steps to change the culture. DeGeneres apologized again during the eighteenth season's September 2020 opening.[70][71]
On May 12, 2021, DeGeneres announced that she would end her talk show following the conclusion of its nineteenth season in 2022.[72] The show aired its final episode on May 26, 2022, withJennifer Aniston,Pink andBillie Eilish appearing as guests, whilePortia de Rossi and other members of DeGeneres's family sat in the audience.[73]
Looking back on the situation in July 2024, DeGeneres said that she "got kicked out of show business for being mean." She added that after existing contractual obligations ended, she would leave show business for good.[74]
Award shows
DeGeneres received wider exposure on November 4, 2001, when she hosted the televised broadcast of theEmmy Awards. Presented after two cancellations due to network concerns that a lavish ceremony following theSeptember 11 attacks would appear insensitive, the show required a more somber tone that would also allow viewers to temporarily forget the tragedy. DeGeneres received several standingovations for her performance that evening, which included the line: "What would bug theTaliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?"[75]
DeGeneres hosted the2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held on September 18, 2005. This was three weeks afterHurricane Katrina, making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy. She also hosted theGrammy Awards in 1996 and in 1997.
On September 7, 2006, DeGeneres was selected to host the79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007.[76] This makes her the first openly gay person to have hosted the event.[77] During the Awards show, DeGeneres said, "What a wonderful night, such diversity in the room, in a year when there's been so many negative things said about people's race, religion, and sexual orientation. And I want to put this out there: If there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars, or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that."[78] Reviews of her hosting gig were positive, with one saying, "DeGeneres rocked, as she never forgot that she wasn't just there to entertain the Oscar nominees but also to tickle the audience at home."[79]Regis Philbin said in an interview that "the only complaint was there's not enough Ellen."
DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast.[80] On August 2, 2013, it was announced that DeGeneres would host the Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, for the second time.[81]
Aselfie orchestrated by86th Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres during the broadcast, the "Oscars selfie", is the fifth-most retweetedtweet ever.[82][83][84] DeGeneres said she wanted to homageMeryl Streep's record 17 Oscar nominations by setting a new record with her, and invited other Oscar celebrities to join them. The resulting photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour.[85][86][87] By the end of the ceremony it had been retweeted over 2 million times, less than 24 hours later, it had been retweeted over 2.8 million times.[83][85] As of May 2017[update], it has been retweeted over 3.4 million times.[83] The group selfie effort was parodied byLego andMatt Groening withThe Simpsons.[88][89] It beat the previous record, which was held byBarack Obama, following his victory in the2012 presidential election.[87][90][91]
On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres headlined the third annual "Change Begins Within" gala for theDavid Lynch Foundation held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[92][93]
Other ventures
ED Ellen DeGeneres
DeGeneres represents a line of products onQVC, ahome shopping network. Her line of home products,initialized as E.D., for Ellen DeGeneres, began being offered on QVC on October 24, 2014, under the name E.D. on Air.[94]
DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen in the summer of 2015.[95] After her initial collections, the brand name then changed to ED Ellen DeGeneres to incorporate the licensed arm of her brand.[96] The collection includes apparel, shoe, accessory, pet, baby and home items. DeGeneres's dog collection atPetSmart was launched in February 2017,[97] and a cat line was introduced later that year.[98]
On August 15, 2018, it was announced that DeGeneres would partner withWalmart to launch a fashion collection under the brand name EV1, a low-cost alternative to her ED Ellen DeGeneres product.[99] The collection officially launched on September 10, 2018.[100]
Commercial spokesperson
In November 2004, DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign forAmerican Express. Her most recent American Express commercial, a two-minute black-and-white spot in which she works with animals, debuted in November 2006 and was created byOgilvy & Mather. In 2007, the commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
DeGeneres began working withCoverGirl Cosmetics in September 2008, for which she has been criticized, as her animal-friendly values clash with Procter and Gamble's (the maker of CoverGirl Cosmetics) animal testing.[101] Her face became the focus of CoverGirl advertisements starting in January 2009. The beauty campaign was DeGeneres's first.[102]
In spring 2012, DeGeneres became the spokesperson forJ. C. Penney in a tour and advertising campaign.[20]
On May 26, 2010, DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She explained her choice of name, claiming that she often sees the number11:11 when looking at her clocks, that she found singerGreyson Chance on the 11th, and that the singer's soccer jersey has the number 11.[103] She mentioned that she had been looking for videos of performances on YouTube to start her label. The first act she signed to the label was Chance.[104]
Personal life
DeGeneres has been diagnosed withADHD andOCD.[105]
In 1997, DeGenerescame out as a lesbian. The disclosure of her sexual orientation sparked intense interest by American tabloids.[114] The contentiousness of the media coverage stunted her professional career and left her "mired in depression".[114][115] In her bookLove, Ellen, DeGeneres's motherBetty describes being initially shocked when DeGeneres came out, but she has since become one of her strongest supporters; Betty is also an active member ofPFLAG and spokesperson for theHuman Rights Campaign's Coming Out Project. The same year she came out, DeGeneres started a romantic relationship with actressAnne Heche that lasted until August 2000.[116] From 2000 to 2004, DeGeneres maintained a close relationship with photographerAlexandra Hedison.[117] The couple appeared on the cover ofThe Advocate after their separation had already been announced to the media.[118]
Since 2004, DeGeneres has been in a relationship with actressPortia de Rossi.[119] After theoverturn of the same-sex marriageban in California, DeGeneres and de Rossi were married in August 2008, at their home inBeverly Hills, California, where they lived with their four dogs and three cats.[120][121] The passage ofProposition 8 in California cast doubt on the legal status of their marriage, but a California Supreme Court judgment validated their marriage because it occurred before November 4, 2008.[122][123][124] A legal petition by de Rossi to change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres was granted on September 23, 2010.[125][126]
Animal rights and veganism
DeGeneres previously described herself as avegan and "big animal lover".[127][128] De Rossi is also a vegan.[128] DeGeneres coordinated a vegan outreach website titled "Going Vegan with Ellen".[129] She intended to open a vegantapas bar, Bokado, in Los Angeles, but plans fell through.[130] In 2012, the website forThe Ellen DeGeneres Show contained a section called "Going Vegan with Ellen", in which she promoted "Meatless Mondays" and featured vegan recipes.[131] In 2016, DeGeneres stated that she had re-introducedfish into her diet,[132] and confirmed that she had stopped following a vegan lifestyle "in the last year or two for no reason really" in her 2018 stand-up comedy specialRelatable.[133]
DeGeneres has invitedHumane Society of the United States CEOWayne Pacelle to speak on her show several times about the organization's efforts in animal protection legislation. In 2009,People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals named her their "Woman of the Year".[134] In April 2013, she donated $25,000 to stop anti-whistlebloweragricultural gag legislation in Tennessee, which would prohibit undercover investigators from recording footage of animal abuse on farms.[135] In 2010, DeGeneres served as campaign ambassador toFarm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, asking people to start "a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one" atThanksgiving.[136]
On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres opened the show at theDavid Lynch Foundation's third annual "Change Begins Within" gala at theLos Angeles County Museum of Art to raise funds to bringTranscendental Meditation (TM) to at-risk populations suffering from epidemic levels of chronicstress andstress-related disorders. She says: "TM is the only time I have that stillness... it gives me this peaceful feeling, and I love it so much. I can't say enough good things about it. All the benefits that you can achieve from sitting still and going within—it really is a beautiful experience.David Lynch is such a wonderful man to start this foundation to help people."[138][139]
In November 2017, it was announced that PresidentDonald Trump would begin allowing the importation of elephant trophies from Africa. In response, DeGeneres created ahashtag campaign in partnership with her brand,ED Ellen DeGeneres, to donate to theDavid Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. She also created a T-shirt with her brand whose proceeds also go to the organization.[140]
Residency
Prior to 2024, DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi split their time in Southern California, primarilyMontecito, andBeverly Hills, where they owned and flipped homes for several years.[141] In August 2024, she and Portia De Rossi sold a property inCarpinteria, California, for $96 million.[142]
In November 2024, the couple relocated from their home inMontecito, California, to theCotswolds region ofEngland. The move was reportedly brought on by there-election of Donald Trump as president, and "they [did] not have plans to return to the United States". The couple purchased the home in the Cotswolds before the outcome of the presidential election.[143][144]
DeGeneres in a July 2025Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, appearance ruled out the possibility of resurrecting her former talk show for a British audience but stated that she had been considering future work options:"'I just don't know what that is yet,' she said. 'I want to have fun, I want to do something. I do like my chickens but I'm a little bit bored.'"[145]
In August 2025, DeGeneres and de Rossi announced that they are selling their country home.[146]
^Ellen DeGeneres (April 26, 2002)."The Comedy Couch" (Interview). Interviewed by Guy MacPherson. Vancouver, B.C.Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. RetrievedMarch 30, 2009.
^Terrace, Vincent (1993).Television Character and Story Facts: Over 110,000 Details from 1,008 Shows, 1945-1992. McFarland & Company. p. 358.ISBN9780899508917.
^Kogan, Rick (September 30, 1992)."Over the Line".Chicago Tribune.
.jpg)
