History of Ellen DeGeneres in Timeline
Ellen DeGeneres is a celebrated American comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She is best known for her approachable and engaging on-screen persona. Her career began with stand-up comedy before transitioning to television, gaining widespread recognition for her role in the sitcom "Ellen." She achieved further success as the host of the daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", known for its humor, celebrity interviews, and charitable acts. Throughout her career, DeGeneres has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, receiving numerous awards and accolades for her contributions.
1996: Hosting the Grammy Awards
In 1996, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
1997: Coming Out as Lesbian
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian, sparking intense media interest that negatively affected her career and led to depression. The same year, she started a romantic relationship with Anne Heche.
1997: Hosting the Grammy Awards
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
August 2000: End of Relationship with Anne Heche
In August 2000, Ellen DeGeneres's romantic relationship with actress Anne Heche ended.
November 4, 2001: Hosting the Emmy Awards
On November 4, 2001, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Emmy Awards broadcast. The show was presented after cancellations due to the September 11 attacks, requiring a somber tone, which she delivered, earning standing ovations.
November 2004: American Express Ad Campaign
In November 2004, Ellen DeGeneres appeared in an ad campaign for American Express, dancing in the commercials.
2004: Relationship with Alexandra Hedison Ends
In 2004, Ellen DeGeneres' relationship with photographer Alexandra Hedison ended after a close relationship. The couple had appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation was already announced.
2004: Relationship with Portia de Rossi
Since 2004, Ellen DeGeneres has been in a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi.
August 2005: Hosting the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards
In August 2005, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held on September 18, 2005.
September 18, 2005: Hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 18, 2005, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, which occurred three weeks after Hurricane Katrina. This marked the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy.
September 7, 2006: Selected to Host the Academy Awards
On September 7, 2006, Ellen DeGeneres was chosen to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which was scheduled to take place on February 25, 2007.
November 2006: American Express Commercial Debut
In November 2006, Ellen DeGeneres's two-minute black-and-white American Express commercial, created by Ogilvy & Mather, debuted, featuring her working with animals.
February 25, 2007: Hosting the Academy Awards
On February 25, 2007, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, making her the first openly gay person to host the event. Her performance received positive reviews.
2007: Emmy Award for American Express Commercial
In 2007, Ellen DeGeneres's American Express commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
August 2008: Marriage to Portia de Rossi
In August 2008, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi got married at their home in Beverly Hills, California, after the same-sex marriage ban in California was overturned.
September 2008: Working with CoverGirl Cosmetics
In September 2008, Ellen DeGeneres began working with CoverGirl Cosmetics, a decision that drew criticism due to the company's animal testing practices, conflicting with DeGeneres's animal-friendly values.
November 4, 2008: Proposition 8
On November 4, 2008, the passage of Proposition 8 in California cast doubt on the legal status of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's marriage. However, a California Supreme Court judgment validated their marriage because it occurred before this date.
January 2009: CoverGirl Advertisements
In January 2009, Ellen DeGeneres's face became the focus of CoverGirl advertisements, marking her first beauty campaign.
2009: PETA's "Woman of the Year"
In 2009, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) named Ellen DeGeneres their "Woman of the Year".
May 26, 2010: Starting Record Label
On May 26, 2010, Ellen DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven".
September 23, 2010: Portia de Rossi Name Change
On September 23, 2010, Portia de Rossi's legal petition to change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres was granted.
2010: Adopt-A-Turkey Project Ambassador
In 2010, Ellen DeGeneres served as campaign ambassador to Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, encouraging people to adopt a turkey instead of eating one at Thanksgiving.
November 2011: Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness
In November 2011, Ellen DeGeneres was named a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
December 3, 2011: Headlining Gala for David Lynch Foundation
On December 3, 2011, Ellen DeGeneres headlined the third annual "Change Begins Within" gala for the David Lynch Foundation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
2011: Attending Saints Practice Session
In 2011, Ellen DeGeneres, a fan of the National Football League, attended a New Orleans Saints practice session dressed as Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Don Hutson.
2012: Obama Retweet Record
In 2012, Barack Obama held the retweet record, before Ellen DeGeneres' orchestrated selfie.
2012: "Going Vegan with Ellen" Website Section
In 2012, the website for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" featured a section called "Going Vegan with Ellen", promoting "Meatless Mondays" and vegan recipes.
2012: Spokesperson for J. C. Penney
In spring 2012, Ellen DeGeneres became the spokesperson for J. C. Penney, participating in a tour and advertising campaign.
April 2013: Donation to Stop Anti-Whistleblower Legislation
In April 2013, Ellen DeGeneres donated $25,000 to stop anti-whistleblower agricultural gag legislation in Tennessee, which would prohibit undercover investigators from recording footage of animal abuse on farms.
August 2, 2013: Hosting the Academy Awards Again
On August 2, 2013, it was announced that Ellen DeGeneres would host the Academy Awards for a second time on March 2, 2014.
March 2, 2014: Hosting the Academy Awards
On March 2, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Academy Awards for the second time.
October 24, 2014: E.D. on Air Launch on QVC
On October 24, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres's line of home products, initialized as E.D., began being offered on QVC under the name E.D. on Air.
2015: Most Powerful Woman
In 2015, Forbes named Ellen DeGeneres the 50th-most-powerful woman in the world and she was second on the World Pride Power list.
2015: Launch of ED by Ellen
In the summer of 2015, Ellen DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen. The brand name later changed to ED Ellen DeGeneres, encompassing the licensed arm of her brand and including apparel, shoes, accessories, pet items, baby items, and home decor.
2016: Re-Introducing Fish into Diet
In 2016, Ellen DeGeneres stated that she had re-introduced fish into her diet.
February 2017: Dog Collection at PetSmart
In February 2017, Ellen DeGeneres launched her dog collection at PetSmart under her lifestyle brand ED Ellen DeGeneres.
May 2017: Selfie Most Retweeted Tweet Ever
As of May 2017, a selfie orchestrated by Ellen DeGeneres at the 86th Academy Awards became the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever, having been retweeted over 3.4 million times.
November 2017: #BeKindToElephants Collection
In November 2017, Ellen DeGeneres's brand launched a collection to benefit her #BeKindToElephants campaign, featuring a tee and baby one-piece, with 100% of the proceeds going to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. She also created a line to benefit the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, a member of the Digit Fund, featuring tees and footwear to support gorillas.
November 2017: Elephant Trophies Campaign
In November 2017, in response to President Donald Trump's decision to allow the importation of elephant trophies from Africa, Ellen DeGeneres launched a hashtag campaign in partnership with her brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, to donate to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. She also created a T-shirt with her brand, with proceeds benefiting the organization.
January 2018: Gorilla Home in Rwanda
In January 2018, as a gift for Ellen DeGeneres's 60th birthday, Portia de Rossi gifted her a permanent gorilla home in Rwanda built in her name for the Digit Fund. This was part of a new arm of the Digit Fund called the "Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund".
August 15, 2018: Partnership with Walmart to Launch EV1
On August 15, 2018, it was announced that Ellen DeGeneres would partner with Walmart to launch a fashion collection under the brand name EV1, designed as a low-cost alternative to her ED Ellen DeGeneres product line.
September 10, 2018: EV1 Collection Launch
On September 10, 2018, Ellen DeGeneres officially launched the EV1 fashion collection in partnership with Walmart.
2018: Stopped Following Vegan Lifestyle
In her 2018 stand-up comedy special "Relatable", Ellen DeGeneres confirmed that she had stopped following a vegan lifestyle "in the last year or two for no reason really".
July 2020: Toxic Workplace Allegations
In July 2020, Ellen DeGeneres was accused by former employees of fostering a toxic work environment on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, marked by allegations of racism, fear, intimidation, and a failure to address sexual harassment and racist micro-aggressions. There were also claims of employees being unjustly fired for medical or bereavement leave.
July 2020: Investigation into Toxic Workplace Claims
In July 2020, following allegations of a toxic workplace environment, Telepictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment launched an internal investigation into The Ellen DeGeneres Show, with Ellen DeGeneres issuing a statement taking responsibility and pledging to address the issues.
September 2020: Executives Depart After Investigation
In September 2020, following an investigation into the work environment at "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", three executives departed, and Ellen DeGeneres apologized again at the opening of the show's eighteenth season, vowing to change the culture.
2020: Earnings in 2020
In 2020, Forbes estimated Ellen DeGeneres's earnings at US$84 million and her net worth at $370 million, ranking her as the 12th-highest-paid entertainer in the world.
May 12, 2021: Ellen Announces End of Talk Show
On May 12, 2021, Ellen DeGeneres announced that she would conclude her talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", following the end of its nineteenth season in 2022.
May 26, 2022: The Ellen DeGeneres Show Final Episode
On May 26, 2022, The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired its final episode, featuring guests Jennifer Aniston, Pink, and Billie Eilish. Ellen DeGeneres' family, including Portia de Rossi, were also in attendance.
November 2023: Followers on Social Media
As of November 2023, Ellen DeGeneres had 75 million followers on Twitter and 139 million followers on Instagram, making her the 14th most-followed user on Twitter and the 32nd most-followed user on Instagram.
July 2024: Show Business Exit
Looking back on past controversies, in July 2024, Ellen DeGeneres stated that she felt she "got kicked out of show business for being mean" and indicated that once her existing contractual obligations were fulfilled, she would permanently leave show business.
August 2024: Property Sale in Carpinteria
In August 2024, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi sold a property in Carpinteria, California, for $96 million.
November 2024: Relocation to the Cotswolds
In November 2024, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi relocated from their home in Montecito, California, to the Cotswolds region of England. This move was reportedly influenced by the re-election of Donald Trump as president, with the couple having no plans to return to the United States. They had purchased the home in the Cotswolds before the presidential election.
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