History of Ellen DeGeneres in Timeline
Ellen DeGeneres is a retired American comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. Rising to prominence in stand-up comedy and the sitcom 'Ellen,' she achieved widespread recognition as the host of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' from 2003 to 2022, winning 33 Daytime Emmy Awards. The show concluded following allegations of workplace bullying, leading to investigations and a decline in public support. DeGeneres officially retired from the talk show in 2022.
1996: Ellen DeGeneres Hosted the Grammy Awards
In 1996, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
1997: DeGeneres Comes Out as Lesbian
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian. This disclosure sparked intense media interest and negatively impacted her professional career, leading to depression. She also started a relationship with Anne Heche that year.
1997: Ellen DeGeneres Hosted the Grammy Awards
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
August 2000: DeGeneres and Anne Heche End Relationship
In August 2000, Ellen DeGeneres's romantic relationship with actress Anne Heche ended.
November 4, 2001: Ellen DeGeneres hosts the Emmy Awards
On November 4, 2001, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Emmy Awards, which was presented after two cancellations due to network concerns following the September 11 attacks. DeGeneres received several standing ovations for her performance, which included the line: "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?"
November 2004: DeGeneres appears in American Express ad campaign
In November 2004, Ellen DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign for American Express.
2004: DeGeneres Starts Relationship with Portia de Rossi
In 2004, Ellen DeGeneres began a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi.
2004: DeGeneres' Relationship with Alexandra Hedison Ends
In 2004, Ellen DeGeneres's close relationship with photographer Alexandra Hedison ended. The couple had appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation was announced.
September 18, 2005: Ellen DeGeneres Hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 18, 2005, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. This was three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy.
September 7, 2006: DeGeneres Selected to Host the 79th Academy Awards
On September 7, 2006, Ellen DeGeneres was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007.
November 2006: American Express commercial with Ellen DeGeneres Debuts
In November 2006, a two-minute black-and-white American Express commercial featuring Ellen DeGeneres working with animals debuted. It was created by Ogilvy & Mather.
February 25, 2007: Ellen DeGeneres Hosts the 79th Academy Awards
On February 25, 2007, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, making her the first openly gay person to have hosted the event. Her hosting gig received positive reviews.
2007: American Express Commercial Wins Emmy Award
In 2007, the American Express commercial featuring Ellen DeGeneres won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
August 2008: DeGeneres and de Rossi Marry
In August 2008, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi married at their home in Beverly Hills, California, following the overturn of the same-sex marriage ban in California.
September 2008: DeGeneres Begins Working with CoverGirl Cosmetics
In September 2008, Ellen DeGeneres began working with CoverGirl Cosmetics, which led to criticism due to the brand's animal testing practices conflicting with DeGeneres's animal-friendly values.
November 4, 2008: Proposition 8 Casts Doubt on Legal Status of Marriage
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, but a California Supreme Court judgment validated their marriage because it occurred before this date.
January 2009: DeGeneres's Face Becomes Focus of CoverGirl Advertisements
In January 2009, Ellen DeGeneres's face became the focus of CoverGirl advertisements, marking her first beauty campaign.
2009: PETA Names DeGeneres "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: DeGeneres Starts Record Label eleveneleven
On May 26, 2010, Ellen DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She signed Greyson Chance as her first act.
September 23, 2010: De Rossi Granted Legal Name Change
On September 23, 2010, a legal petition by Portia de Rossi to change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres was granted.
2010: DeGeneres Serves as Campaign Ambassador for Adopt-A-Turkey Project
In 2010, Ellen DeGeneres served as campaign ambassador to Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, asking people to start "a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one" at Thanksgiving.
November 2011: DeGeneres Named Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness
In November 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Ellen DeGeneres a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness.
December 3, 2011: DeGeneres Headlines "Change Begins Within" Gala
On December 3, 2011, Ellen DeGeneres headlined the third annual "Change Begins Within" gala for the David Lynch Foundation held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
2011: DeGeneres Attends Saints Practice Dressed as Don Hutson
In 2011, Ellen DeGeneres attended a New Orleans Saints practice session dressed as Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Don Hutson, showing support for both the Saints and the Green Bay Packers.
2012: Obama held the previous retweet record
In 2012, Barack Obama held the previous record for retweets, following his victory in the presidential election. The Oscars selfie surpassed this record.
2012: "Going Vegan with Ellen" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show website
In 2012, the website for The Ellen DeGeneres Show contained a section called "Going Vegan with Ellen", in which she promoted "Meatless Mondays" and featured vegan recipes.
2012: DeGeneres Becomes Spokesperson for J. C. Penney
In spring 2012, Ellen DeGeneres became the spokesperson for J. C. Penney in a tour and advertising campaign.
April 2013: DeGeneres Donates 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: DeGeneres to Host Academy Awards for the Second Time
On August 2, 2013, it was announced that Ellen DeGeneres would host the Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, for the second time.
March 2, 2014: Ellen DeGeneres Hosts the Academy Awards for the Second Time
On March 2, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Academy Awards for the second time.
October 24, 2014: E.D. on Air launched on QVC
On October 24, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres' line of home products, initialized as E.D., began being offered on QVC under the name E.D. on Air.
2015: ED by Ellen Lifestyle Brand Launched
In 2015, Ellen DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen, which later changed to ED Ellen DeGeneres. The collection includes apparel, shoe, accessory, pet, baby, and home items.
2015: DeGeneres Named Among World's Most Powerful Women
In 2015, Ellen DeGeneres was named the 50th-most-powerful woman in the world by Forbes and came second on the World Pride Power list.
2016: DeGeneres Re-introduces Fish into her Diet
In 2016, Ellen DeGeneres stated that she had re-introduced fish into her diet, moving away from her vegan lifestyle.
February 2017: DeGeneres's dog collection at PetSmart was launched
In February 2017, Ellen DeGeneres's dog collection at PetSmart was launched, and a cat line was introduced later that year.
May 2017: "Oscars selfie" is the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever
As of May 2017, the "Oscars selfie" orchestrated by Ellen DeGeneres during the 86th Academy Awards broadcast had been retweeted over 3.4 million times and is the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever.
November 2017: DeGeneres Responds to Elephant Trophy Import Ban
In November 2017, in response to President Donald Trump's decision to allow the importation of elephant trophies from Africa, Ellen DeGeneres created 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 whose proceeds also go to the organization.
August 15, 2018: DeGeneres Partners with Walmart for EV1 Fashion Collection
On August 15, 2018, it was announced that Ellen DeGeneres would partner with Walmart to launch a fashion collection under the brand name EV1, a low-cost alternative to her ED Ellen DeGeneres product.
September 10, 2018: EV1 Fashion Collection Officially Launched
On September 10, 2018, the EV1 fashion collection, a partnership between Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart, was officially launched.
2018: DeGeneres Confirms Stopping Vegan Lifestyle in Stand-up Comedy Special
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".
March 2020: Kevin T. Porter's Twitter thread about Ellen DeGeneres
In March 2020, comedian Kevin T. Porter started a Twitter thread calling Ellen DeGeneres "notoriously one of the meanest people alive" and asked other users to share stories about her being mean, promising to donate two dollars to the Los Angeles Food Bank for each post. The thread quickly went viral with multiple allegations.
July 2020: Former employees accuse Ellen DeGeneres of toxic on-set atmosphere
In July 2020, ten former employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show anonymously accused DeGeneres of creating a "toxic" on-set atmosphere filled with "racism, fear, and intimidation." They alleged incidents such as the failure to address executives sexually harassing female employees, "racist micro-aggressions and abuse" towards employees of color, firing employees for taking medical leave, and replacing crew with non-union workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 2020: Executives Leave and Apology During Season Opening
Following an investigation, three executives left the show, and the show vowed to change its culture. In September 2020, DeGeneres apologized during the eighteenth season's opening.
2020: DeGeneres's 2020 Earnings
In 2020, Forbes estimated Ellen DeGeneres's earnings at US$84 million and her net worth at $370 million, making her the 12th-highest-paid entertainer in the world.
May 12, 2021: Ellen DeGeneres Announces End of Talk Show
On May 12, 2021, Ellen DeGeneres announced that she would end her talk show following the conclusion of its nineteenth season in 2022.
May 26, 2022: The Ellen DeGeneres Show Final Episode
On May 26, 2022, the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired. Guests included Jennifer Aniston, Pink, and Billie Eilish, with Portia de Rossi and other family members in the audience.
November 2023: DeGeneres's Social Media Following
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: Ellen DeGeneres Reflects on Career Challenges
In July 2024, Ellen DeGeneres reflected on her career, stating she "got kicked out of show business for being mean". She also stated she would leave show business for good after her contractual obligations ended.
August 2024: Property Sale in Carpinteria
In August 2024, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi sold their 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, reportedly influenced by the re-election of Donald Trump.
May 2025: DeGeneres Listed in Sunday Times Rich List
In May 2025, Ellen DeGeneres was listed in the Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth of £363 million.
July 2025: Future work options
In July 2025, during an appearance in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Ellen DeGeneres stated that she wouldn't resurrect her former talk show for a British audience but was considering future work options.
August 2025: Selling Country Home
In August 2025, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi announced that they are selling their country home.
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