History of Ellen DeGeneres in Timeline
Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. Rising from stand-up comedy, she gained fame through appearances on The Tonight Show and starred in sitcoms like Ellen. Her syndicated talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, ran from 2003 to 2022, earning her numerous Daytime Emmy Awards. However, the show concluded after allegations of a toxic work environment and workplace bullying emerged, leading to internal investigations and a decline in public opinion. In 2021, DeGeneres announced the show's end, effectively retiring from the talk show in 2022.
1996: DeGeneres hosts the Grammy Awards
In 1996, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
1997: DeGeneres comes out as a lesbian
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian, sparking intense media interest. This disclosure impacted her career and led to depression.
1997: DeGeneres hosts the Grammy Awards
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Grammy Awards.
August 2000: DeGeneres and Heche end relationship
In August 2000, Ellen DeGeneres and actress Anne Heche ended their romantic relationship.
November 4, 2001: DeGeneres hosts the Emmy Awards
On November 4, 2001, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the televised broadcast of the Emmy Awards. The show, presented after cancellations due to the September 11 attacks, required a somber tone. DeGeneres received standing ovations for her performance, including a memorable line about the Taliban.
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 and Hedison appear on The Advocate cover
In 2004, Ellen DeGeneres and photographer Alexandra Hedison appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation had already been announced.
2004: DeGeneres and de Rossi begin relationship
Since 2004, Ellen DeGeneres has been in a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi.
September 18, 2005: DeGeneres hosts the Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 18, 2005, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, three weeks after Hurricane Katrina. It was the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy.
September 7, 2006: DeGeneres to Host the 79th Academy Awards
On September 7, 2006, Ellen DeGeneres was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, making her the first openly gay person to host the event.
November 2006: New American Express commercial debuts
In November 2006, Ellen DeGeneres's new American Express commercial, a black-and-white spot featuring her working with animals, debuted.
February 25, 2007: DeGeneres hosts the 79th Academy Awards
On February 25, 2007, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the 79th Academy Awards ceremony. She made remarks about diversity and received positive reviews for her performance.
2007: American Express commercial wins Emmy Award
In 2007, Ellen DeGeneres's American Express commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
August 2008: DeGeneres and de Rossi get married
In August 2008, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were married at their home in Beverly Hills, California.
September 2008: DeGeneres begins working with CoverGirl Cosmetics
In September 2008, Ellen DeGeneres began working with CoverGirl Cosmetics, leading to criticism due to conflicts with her animal-friendly values and Procter & Gamble's animal testing practices.
November 4, 2008: Proposition 8's Impact on DeGeneres's Marriage
The passage of Proposition 8 in California on November 4, 2008, cast doubt on the legal status of Ellen DeGeneres's marriage to Portia de Rossi, which had occurred before this date.
January 2009: DeGeneres is the face of CoverGirl advertisements
In January 2009, Ellen DeGeneres's face became the focus of CoverGirl advertisements, marking her first beauty campaign.
2009: DeGeneres named 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: DeGeneres starts her own record label, eleveneleven
On May 26, 2010, Ellen DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She explained that she found Greyson Chance on the 11th and signed him as her first act.
September 23, 2010: De Rossi legally changes her name
On September 23, 2010, Portia de Rossi's legal petition to change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres was granted.
2010: DeGeneres promotes Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project
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: 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 supports the Saints and Packers
In 2011, Ellen DeGeneres showed support for the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. She even attended a Saints practice session dressed as Packers Hall of Famer Don Hutson.
2012: Obama's Tweet Record
In 2012, Barack Obama held the previous retweet record, following his victory in the presidential election.
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 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: DeGeneres hosts the Academy Awards
On March 2, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Academy Awards for the second time.
October 24, 2014: E.D. on Air Line of products on QVC
On October 24, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres's line of home products, initialized as E.D., for Ellen DeGeneres, began being offered on QVC under the name E.D. on Air.
2015: DeGeneres launches lifestyle brand ED by Ellen
In 2015, Ellen DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen.
2015: DeGeneres listed as one of the 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.
February 2017: DeGeneres launches dog collection at PetSmart
In February 2017, Ellen DeGeneres's dog collection at PetSmart was launched.
May 2017: "Oscars selfie" remains highly retweeted
As of May 2017, the "Oscars selfie" orchestrated by Ellen DeGeneres during the 86th Academy Awards broadcast, remained the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever, having been retweeted over 3.4 million times.
November 2017: DeGeneres responds to elephant trophy import policy
In November 2017, following President Donald Trump's announcement to allow the importation of elephant trophies from Africa, Ellen DeGeneres created a hashtag campaign and T-shirt to donate to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in partnership with her brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres.
August 15, 2018: DeGeneres partners 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.
September 10, 2018: EV1 collection officially launched
On September 10, 2018, the EV1 fashion collection, a partnership between Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart, was officially launched.
2018: DeGeneres confirms ending 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".
March 2020: Kevin T. Porter's Twitter thread about Ellen DeGeneres
In March 2020, comedian Kevin T. Porter posted a Twitter thread calling Ellen DeGeneres "one of the meanest people alive." He solicited stories about her meanness from other users, promising to donate two dollars to the Los Angeles Food Bank for each post. The thread went viral with allegations of unkind behavior.
July 2020: Former employees accuse DeGeneres of toxic work environment
In July 2020, ten former employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show anonymously accused Ellen DeGeneres of fostering a "toxic" on-set atmosphere characterized by "racism, fear, and intimidation." Allegations included a failure to address sexual harassment, racist micro-aggressions, firing employees for medical leave, and using non-union workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 2020: Executives Depart and Apology on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Following an investigation, in September 2020, three executives (Kevin A. Leman II, Ed Glavin, and Jonathon Norman) left The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen DeGeneres apologized during the eighteenth season's opening, promising to change the culture of the show.
2020: DeGeneres's earnings estimated by Forbes
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: DeGeneres announces the end of her talk show
On May 12, 2021, Ellen DeGeneres announced that she would end her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, following the conclusion of its nineteenth season in 2022.
May 26, 2022: Final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
On May 26, 2022, The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired its final episode. Jennifer Aniston, Pink, and Billie Eilish appeared as guests. Portia de Rossi and other family members of Ellen DeGeneres were 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.
July 2024: 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 indicated that after existing contractual obligations were fulfilled, she would leave show business for good.
August 2024: Property Sale in Carpinteria
In August 2024, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi sold a property located 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. The move was reportedly prompted by the re-election of Donald Trump as president.
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 Considered
In July 2025, during an appearance in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Ellen DeGeneres ruled out reviving her former talk show for a British audience. However, she mentioned that she was considering future work options, expressing a desire for fun and new challenges.
August 2025: Country Home on the Market
In August 2025, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi announced that they are selling their country home.
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