Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s love story is a tale of chance encounter and fate.
The couple first met in 2000 at a party, which de Rossi later described as “love at first sight,” though she was not yet publicly out at the time.
A year later, they met again at a Rock the Vote concert in 2001 and finally reconnected for good at the VH1 Big in ’04 Awards in December 2004.
At the time of their 2004 reconnection, both were in other relationships, DeGeneres with Alexandra Hedison and de Rossi with Francesca Gregorini.
They soon ended those relationships to be together and made their public debut at a Golden Globes afterparty in January 2005.
Following the legalization of same-s*x marriage in California, they married in an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home on August 16, 2008.
In a further step, in 2010, de Rossi legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres.
In February 2023, she surprised Ellen with a vow renewal ceremony officiated by Kris Jenner.
Over the years, Portia has credited Ellen with saving her life in multiple interviews, particularly during her struggles with an unhealthy eating pattern and mental health battles.
She said in 2010, “It's amazing, Ellen met me when I was 168 pounds, my heaviest weight... she just saw something that made me uniquely me.”
In late 2024, following the U.S. presidential election, the couple moved to the Cotswolds in England, reportedly seeking a simpler, more private life.
Though they chose not to have children, the 67-year-old comedian and her wife have built a life centered on advocacy for major causes, particularly animal rights, wildlife conservation, and LGBTQ+ equality.
After over two decades together, Ellen and Portia remain one of Hollywood’s most enduring same-s*x marriages.
The couple first met in 2000 at a party, which de Rossi later described as “love at first sight,” though she was not yet publicly out at the time.
A year later, they met again at a Rock the Vote concert in 2001 and finally reconnected for good at the VH1 Big in ’04 Awards in December 2004.
At the time of their 2004 reconnection, both were in other relationships, DeGeneres with Alexandra Hedison and de Rossi with Francesca Gregorini.
They soon ended those relationships to be together and made their public debut at a Golden Globes afterparty in January 2005.
Following the legalization of same-s*x marriage in California, they married in an intimate ceremony at their Los Angeles home on August 16, 2008.
In a further step, in 2010, de Rossi legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres.
In February 2023, she surprised Ellen with a vow renewal ceremony officiated by Kris Jenner.
Over the years, Portia has credited Ellen with saving her life in multiple interviews, particularly during her struggles with an unhealthy eating pattern and mental health battles.
She said in 2010, “It's amazing, Ellen met me when I was 168 pounds, my heaviest weight... she just saw something that made me uniquely me.”
In late 2024, following the U.S. presidential election, the couple moved to the Cotswolds in England, reportedly seeking a simpler, more private life.
Though they chose not to have children, the 67-year-old comedian and her wife have built a life centered on advocacy for major causes, particularly animal rights, wildlife conservation, and LGBTQ+ equality.
After over two decades together, Ellen and Portia remain one of Hollywood’s most enduring same-s*x marriages.