Are Ellen and Portia still together?

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi‘s relationship was a defining moment in queer culture in the U.S. Whether you love Ellen or love to hate her, it is practically undeniable that she was, for a long time, an icon for queer men and women around the world.

In 1994, the United States saw the first episode of the sitcom Ellen, introducing us to the woman behind the quirky dances and witty banter — DeGeneres herself. Three years later, now loved all across the country, Degeneres came out as gay, and seven years after that, Portia de Rossi — then riding the success of Arrested Development — publicly proclaimed her love for Ellen.

One thing to remember is that, while all of this may seem commonplace today — think of today’s pop icons like Renée Rapp and Chappell Roan — in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was a cultural shock. Today, 23 years after their first meeting, are Portia and Ellen still together?

Did Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi get divorced?

No, Ellen and Portia did not get divorced. They are still going strong after 20 years together. In fact, the couple celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in August with heartfelt social media tributes to each other. “I will be celebrating my 16th wedding anniversary on the 16th of August in Minneapolis filming my final Netflix special,” DeGeneres wrote in a post. “What a day!!! I’m so lucky to be loved by the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I love you, Portia. You’re my everything.”

Ellen and Portia allegedly met backstage at a Rock the Vote concert in 2001, but their relationship wasn’t announced until 2004 — when it finally blossomed. At the time, Portia hadn’t yet come out as a lesbian and was deeply afraid of the potential public backlash, as she revealed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“[I knew DeGeneres was the one for me] when I first laid eyes on her. But it took me three years to actually tell her how I felt about her because I was on Ally McBeal at the time and I was not living as an openly gay person. I was closeted and very, very afraid that if I talked about being gay, it would be the end of my career. So, I wasn’t about to date the most famous lesbian in the world.”

By the time the two reconnected in 2004, both DeGeneres and de Rossi were in relationships with other people. Ellen was dating photographer Alexandra Hedison, while de Rossi was with singer Francesca Gregorini. However, they both knew that, ultimately, they were meant to be together. “She had a girlfriend and I had a girlfriend, but it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, we’re going to have an affair.’ We were just supposed to be together,” DeGeneres told People in 2005.

Since then, the two have been inseparable through thick and thin. Today, when you think of Ellen DeGeneres, your mind may immediately go to 2022, when her long-running talk show ended in the wake of allegations of a toxic workplace. Understandably so as well, since it wasn’t a good image for someone in the limelight. However, we also can’t suddenly dismiss how Ellen’s show helped shape a more progressive audience and impacted countless viewers worldwide.

Despite the public backlash — which, again, is wholly understandable — Portia and DeGeneres remain together and, by all appearances, are happier than ever before, even after DeGeneres announced her split from Hollywood. Love knows no boundaries, and not even alleged harassment towards employees gets between these two.