I actually can remember a time before Ellen DeGeneres was openly gay. Back when Ellen was on the air, the episode in which her character came out was a massive shock to many, but I remember even though I was pretty young at the time, I just felt like, “Right, that makes sense.” It certainly hasn’t hurt her career at all, at least not in the long run, and now she’s happily married to Portia de Rossi and they’re basically the cutest couple ever (and seriously I won’t be able to cope if they ever break up). Life is good, but incidentally, Ellen never actually thought she’d come out publicly.
In an interview on Oprah’s Master Class, Ellen admitted that it was a trip to a meditation camp in Big Sur, California that finally convinced her to be true to herself and speak out on who she is. It wasn’t an easy process, but it ultimately paid off.
I love Ellen and I think pretty much everyone else feels the same, so I’m really glad she’s found peace with herself and is able to live honestly.
I don’t remember her being gay as that big a secret. In fact, I always thought that people were begging her to do it just before she did come out.