Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi have been married since August 2008. Credit: Kelly Sullivan / Getty
Ellen DeGeneres has stepped away from the spotlight and now faces a painful loss.
Ellen and Portia de Rossi share a beloved relationship built on love, support, and resilience.
They met in 2000 and started dating in 2004, becoming one of Hollywood’s most high-profile same-sex couples.
Their relationship gained public celebration when they married in 2008, soon after California legalized same-sex marriage.
Over the years, they spoke often about how they bring out the best in each other.
Portia supported Ellen through career highs and controversies.
Ellen praised Portia’s strength and creativity consistently.
After fleeing Hollywood together following Ellen’s workplace scandal, the couple retreated to the English countryside.
Ellen recently revealed that their beloved rescue dog, Augie, has passed away.
She shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram post on May 16.
“We had to say goodbye to Augie yesterday,” Ellen wrote.
“We rescued him 12 years ago, and he was so grateful. He gave us so much love. He will be missed. There will never be another like him.”
Augie, a Beagle-Chihuahua mix, had been part of Ellen and Portia’s fur family for over a decade.
The couple, married since 2008, also have two other dogs—Kid, a Poodle-Maltese mix, and Mrs. Wallis Browning, a purebred Poodle—plus two tuxedo cats, George and Chairman.
From Red Carpets to Rolling Hills
Since selling their $32 million Montecito mansion in 2024, Ellen and Portia embraced a quieter life in the UK.
Their move followed Donald Trump’s presidential win in November the previous year.
They initially settled in the Cotswolds, but flooding from Storm Bert forced them to relocate nearby in Oxfordshire.
Fans recently caught a glimpse of Ellen’s new life when she shared a clip mowing grass, captioned:
“Portia thought it would be fun to film my first time on the mower. She was right.”
She also debuted a dramatic new look—trading her signature blonde pixie for brunette locks.
Remembering Augie
Ellen’s tribute went beyond words.
She posted a slideshow of photos of Augie over the years—snuggling with Portia, lounging under the sun, and relaxing in their kitchen.
Days later, she thanked her 136 million followers for their kind messages about Augie.
She also shared an emotional video recorded weeks before Augie’s death.
It showed Augie sleeping in Portia’s lap while Ellen talked about her skincare line, Kind Science.
The post ended with Ellen saying, “I don’t care what Portia says, please don’t call me the Deal Queen. We love you, Augie.”
Portia has not spoken publicly about the loss and is known for keeping a low profile online.
Life After Daytime TV
Ellen has kept a low profile since ending The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022 after nearly 20 years on air.
The 2020 workplace misconduct scandal made her reflect deeply.
“I have to just trust that whatever happened during that time, which was obviously very, very difficult, happened for a reason,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
In 2024, she briefly returned to the spotlight with a Netflix special titled Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval.
The special received lukewarm reviews, earning a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
