- 2005
Makeup and Revelations
DeGeneres lands on the cover of fashion magazine Allure with the headline, "The Comedy and the Tears." She publicly reveals her stepfather's sexual abuse for the first time: "It's important for teenage girls out there to hear that there are different ways to say no. And if it ever happens to them, they should tell someone right away."
A Gracious Host
She hosts the 57th Annual Emmys Awards a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina. DeGeneres keeps the evening respectful but light, starting with her opening monologue: "This is the second time I've hosted the Emmys after a national tragedy, and I just want to say that I'm honored, because it's times like this that we really, really need laughter. And be sure to look for me next month when I host the North Korean People's Choice Awards."
- 2007
Oscar Calls
DeGeneres is tapped to emcee the 79th Annual Academy Awards at Kodak Theatre, the second woman (Whoopi Goldberg was first) ever to host the show solo – and the first to do so in pants. Her performance gets mixed reviews, but Nielson Media Research shows a 2 percent ratings increase from last year.
She Does Menswear Right
DeGeneres makes the cover of fashion magazine W, but refuses to wear a dress. "I don't want to apologize for who I am," she says. The usually low-key comedian tells W she loves high fashion. "I usually wear Jil Sander, or I wear Marc Jacobs, or I wear Viktor & Rolf...I love clothes...You know, I'm not wearing Kmart."
More Emmys for Ellen
At the Daytime Emmys, DeGeneres' show wins six trophies, including her fourth straight win for Outstanding Talk Show and third for Outstanding Talk Show Host, beating Rosie O'Donnell and The View. In 2008, she wins her fourth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
- 2008
Ellen to Wed Portia!
DeGeneres, 50, announces her plans to wed longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi, 35. The news comes hot on the heels of a judicial ruling that struck down California's laws against gay marriage, which says people have a fundamental "right to marry" the partner of their choosing.
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic; ANDREW ECCLES/ABC; Courtesy W Magazine; Michael Buckner/Getty
- Name
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Birth Date
- January 26, 1958
- Birth Place
- Metairie, La.
- Heart Monitor
-
Portia de Rossi, girlfriend (Dec. 2004 to present)
Alexandra Hedison, ex-girlfriend (Oct. 2000 to Dec. 2004)
Anne Heche, ex-girlfriend (March 1997 to Aug. 2000)
Kathy Perkoff, girlfriend (1970s to 1980)
