Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi broke barriers when they tied the knot in August 2008, and continue to inspire others with their love story.
The twosome first met at a party in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2004 that they would become more than just acquaintances. Their relationship, which began after VH1’s Big in ’04 awards show, gave de Rossi the confidence she needed to publicly come out as gay.
“I’ve had my years of being not open, many years of it,” she told the Advocate in August 2005, despite previously being linked to ex Francesca Gregorini. “It’s an honor for me to do this; it’s just nice to be asked.”
The Ally McBeal alum added: “I ran into Ellen at a photo shoot about a year ago and she took my breath away. That had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and [experienced] all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry. My knees were weak. It was amazing. And it was very hard for me to get her out of my mind after that … we just were kind of supposed to be together … I just couldn’t ignore the feelings I had for Ellen.”
DeGeneres, meanwhile, has often been outspoken about her love for de Rossi.
“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,” the talk show host gushed to Good Housekeeping in 2017. She supports me and makes me happy.”
When DeGeneres came under fire in July 2020 for allegedly having a toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, her wife stood by her side. The Australia native posted an “I Stand by Ellen” photo on her Instagram account in August 2020 and thanked the couple’s fans for their support amid the scandal.
Scroll down to take a look back at DeGeneres and de Rossi’s relationship timeline.
The two briefly met at a party, however, de Rossi had not yet spoken publicly about her sexuality.
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The pair locked eyes at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and started dating shortly after.
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De Rossi opened up about being gay and how her relationship with DeGeneres has changed her outlook on life in August 2005. “Just being a couple — being able to walk down a red carpet holding her hand, that’s exciting for me,” the model told the Advocate. “I respect her so much. She was so courageous and so loud in ’97, and now she is doing something that is more subliminal. She’s changing the world, she really is, and it’s exciting to be a part of that.”
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They do! DeGeneres and de Rossi wed shortly after the Supreme Court of California made it legal for same-sex couples to get married.
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“I feel very fortunate,” DeGeneres said during a TV interview while talking about her marriage. “I feel really, really lucky to have found that connection.”
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The Scandal actress legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres, though she continued to use de Rossi professionally.
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DeGeneres debunked divorce rumors. "I don't know why they do this," she told Howard Stern. “We're kind of flattered. We really don't almost break up, we don't fight, we're madly in love, and I guess it's boring.”
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"We're just really good friends and we talk about everything, and we never ever, ever lie to each other, like, not even the tiniest lies," De Rossi told Entertainment Tonight. "And she's the only person I want to hang out with. Like, she is my best friend and I just want to be with her all the time. She's just so awesome! Who wouldn't want to be with Ellen all the time?"
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In honor of DeGeneres’ 60th birthday, de Rossi gifted her a gorilla sanctuary. “This gift had to be really special, and it had to represent who you are and what you really care about," the doting wife told the Finding Dory star. "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." DeGeneres called it “the best gift ever.”
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“Happy anniversary, Portia,” the comedian wrote via Instagram on the couple’s 11-year wedding anniversary. “My favorite number with my favorite person.”
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The lovebirds added to their brood by rescuing a puppy in September. The pair named the curly-haired canine Mrs. Wallis Browning, and she was introduced on DeGeneres’ talk show.
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The couple mourned the loss of their pup Wolf, who was one of two of their dogs by their sides at their 2008 nuptials. “Last night we had to say goodbye to our dog Wolf. He brought us so much love and joy. I hope we did the same for him,” the Finding Dory star wrote via Instagram.
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The Arrested Development alum stood by her wife’s side in August 2020 after DeGeneres came under fire a month prior amid allegations that The Ellen DeGeneres Show was a toxic place to work. “To all our fans….we see you,” de Rossi wrote via Instagram, alongside a photo that read, “I Stand by Ellen” across a blue background. “Thank you for your support. #stopbotattacks #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres #IStandByEllen.”
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