‘A last resort than a fresh start’: Ellen DeGeneres’ ‘friend’ convinced ‘darkness’ in her marriage compelled her to ‘control’ Portia de Rossi

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi‘s move across the pond may not be a reaction to Trump’s election win. This isn’t some fairy tale about retiring into the British countryside with a cuppa in hand, it reeks of something more peculiar.

On the surface, the transatlantic leap is just another chapter in Ellen’s ongoing reinvention. But beneath the polished veneer of fresh starts and countryside living, whispers of tension in her marriage with Portia are growing louder. In fact, an anonymous source, supposedly a “friend” of DeGeneres, shared with In Touch that this move is less about starting anew and more about Ellen rewriting the script entirely, “I don’t see this new arrangement working out in the long term and it looks a lot more like a last resort than a fresh start.”

“Ellen’s decision to move to England is baffling if you just look at it as a reaction to the election or the shifting culture in the U.S., but it makes perfect sense when you look at the arc of her relationship with Portia,” said the source who’s been privy to the DeGeneres inner circle. And when you think about it, why would Ellen uproot their lives when Portia is still in a position to easily get parts in Hollywood? “There has to be a real darkness at work in the relationship for them to give up on that home and move somewhere else, especially at a time when Portia is still very viable as an actress,” added the source.

Portia, once a celebrated actress, has spent years in Ellen’s orbit, a role that’s reportedly left her sidelined professionally. Since Ellen’s talk show reputation imploded under allegations of workplace misconduct, she has been retreating further and further into her own carefully constructed world. And in Ellen’s world, it seems like there is no space for Portia to have a Hollywood career. And that may be the real reason for the move to the U.K., not the 2024 election; at least, the source thinks so:

“Getting out of Southern California only increases the incredible control Ellen has had over Portia for years, and Ellen clearly had a reason to want to increase that level of control.”

We know Ellen to be mean, but is she actually “this” mean? Well, the couple’s relationship has been described as “unorthodox.” According to the insider, Ellen’s bad attitude lingered at Portia’s workplace as well and extended to the former talk show “managing Portia like her own personal puppet.” 

From an outside perspective, the whole thing feels more like manipulation than a romantic gesture. But this “friend” could very well be just be spreading lies and maybe many are biased because of the allegations against Ellen. The couple was seen around their new town and recently celebrated their 20th anniversary together. When you look at the paparazzi photos, Ellen and Portia look happy. But there is no forgetting the dark fact that when it comes to Ellen, there’s always more to the story than meets the eye.