Timeline of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s Relationship

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi broke barriers when they tied the knot in August 2008, and continue to inspire others with their love story.

The twosome first met at a party in 2000, but it wasn’t until 2004 that they would become more than just acquaintances. Their relationship, which began after VH1’s Big in ’04 awards show, gave de Rossi the confidence she needed to publicly come out as gay.

“I’ve had my years of being not open, many years of it,” she told the Advocate in August 2005, despite previously being linked to ex Francesca Gregorini. “It’s an honor for me to do this; it’s just nice to be asked.”

DeGeneres, meanwhile, has often been outspoken about her love for de Rossi, telling Good Housekeeping in 2017 that “Portia understands me completely.”

When DeGeneres came under fire in July 2020 for allegedly having a toxic work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, her wife stood by her side. The Australia native posted an “I Stand by Ellen” photo on her Instagram account in August 2020 and thanked the couple’s fans for their support amid the scandal.

Scroll down to take a look back at DeGeneres and de Rossi’s relationship timeline: