Ellen DeGeneres & More LGBTQ+ Celebs Who've Navigated Public Romances

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Step Inside Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi’s Lovely Billie Eilish-Themed Date Night

Ellen DeGeneres was music to Portia De Rossi's ears.

Although the Arrested Development actress was rocking out at the Save the Vote concert in 2001, it was the Ellen DeGeneres Show host who had really caught her attention.

"I just have this memory of her walking very quickly backstage and I was running to catch up to her," Portia told People in 2021. "I remember thinking that she was the coolest, most fascinating, beautiful, funniest person I'd ever met."

Despite her attraction to Ellen—who came out as a lesbian in 1997—Portia struggled to come to terms with her feelings.

"I, at the time, was closeted," she explained. "I really wasn't comfortable with my sexuality and she was obviously very open about hers. I just knew that being with her would be a bit of a thing for me, so we didn't get together after that for about three years."

And it turns out Portia, 53, was very good at hiding her feelings because Ellen, 68, admitted it wasn't until they began dating in 2004 that she learned of her massive crush. 

"I didn't know until we got together," the talk show host—whose romance with Portia bloomed after reconnecting at VH1's Big in '04 awards show—she told O, The Oprah Magazine in 2009, "when she finally told me how she was feeling."

Ellen and Portia tied the knot in 2008 during the brief period in California when same-sex marriage had been legal before it was dismantled again through the passage of ballot initiative Proposition 8 later that year. (The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed Prop 8 in 2013.)

Dave Benett/Getty Images for RH

"It feels like you're home," Ellen said of their union. "There's an anchor. There's a safety. We are all equal citizens, and we should have the same rights that anybody else on this earth has."

"I feel very fortunate," she emphasized. "I feel really, really lucky that I found that connection." 

For Ellen—who moved to the English countryside with Portia in 2024—her wife has continued to transform her life for the better.

"I think I'm healthier than I've ever been," she added. "I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm more myself. I can't stress that enough. I think kindness is the key to yourself and to other people."

"I found out who I was and I think I really try to be a better person every single day," Ellen added. "And [Portia] makes me better."

For a closer look at Ellen and Portia's love story, as well as celebs like Lily-Rose Depp, Rebel Wilson, Kristen Stewart and more, keep reading. 

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David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris

Harris and Burtka married in 2014 in Italy and have been together for a whopping 20 years. The longtime couple share 13-year-old twins Harper and Gideon.

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Jessica Betts & Niecy Nash-Betts

The Reno 911 actress and musician met after Betts landed a small role on Nash's TNT comedy Claws. After keeping their romance private for several years, the couple announced they were married in August 2020.

They've gone on to share countless adorable date nights on the red carpet and even posed topless together for Essence, making them the first same-sex couple to grace the cover of the magazine.

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Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor

The actors' romantic relationship began in 2015, but they didn't go public with their romance until the following year. Now, they are award show mainstays always supporting each other in their professional endeavors.

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Lance Bass & Michael Turchin

Bass and Turchin have been 'N SYNC since they got together in 2011. The couple wed in 2014 in Los Angeles and celebrated a decade together by welcoming twins Violet and Alexander in 2021.

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Georges LeBar & RuPaul

This couple proves opposites really do attract. Together since the '90s, LeBar runs a Wyoming ranch while RuPaul is busy winning Emmys as the longtime host of his reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race. The pair secretly wed in 2017.

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Dylan Meyer & Kristen Stewart

The Oscar-nominated actress announced in 2021 that she and her screenwriter partner got engaged after two years of dating.

"We're marrying, we're totally gonna do it," Stewart said on The Howard Stern Show. "I wanted to be proposed to, so I think I very distinctly carved out what I wanted and she nailed it. We're marrying, it's happening."

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Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi

The comedian and actress met at an award show in 2004 and the rest is history. The lovebirds tied the knot in 2008.

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Todd Spiewak & Jim Parsons

The Big Bang Theory actor and graphic designer have been together for over two decades. Parsons first went public with their relationship in 2012 and the two married five years later at the Rainbow Room in New York City.

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David Furnish & Elton John

After first meeting in 1993, the EGOT winner and filmmaker tied the knot in 2014 after eight years in a British civil partnership. The couple of over three decades shares sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11.

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Ben Platt & Noah Galvin

The actors, who both starred in the titular role in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, started dating in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Fast forward two years, Ben popped the question in November 2022. 

As he announced on Instagram at the time, "He agreed to hang out forever."

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Jodie Foster & Alexandra Hedison

The Oscar winner and photographer have maintained a very private relationship since they wed in April 2014 after dating for almost a year.

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Ariana DeBose & Sue Makkoo

DeBose and Makkoo both worked on Broadway's Summer: The Donna Summer Musical in 2018 with the Oscar winner playing Disco Donna and the fashion designer working as the show's costume associate. The lovebirds took their relationship public during the 2022 award season where DeBose picked up countless awards for her role in West Side Story.

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Amber Laign & Robin Roberts

Roberts and Laign first met on a blind date in 2005 and were together for nearly two decades before marrying in 2023.

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Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird

These two are definitely couple goals—and we're not talking about the sports kind.

The soccer star and former WNBA champ began dating in 2016 and got engaged in 2020.

In 2018, Bird and Rapinoe became the first same-sex couple on the cover of ESPN's The Body Issue.

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070 Shake & Lily-Rose Depp

In January 2024, The Idol actress and rapper celebrated their first anniversary with Depp sharing to Instagram, "1 <3 My dani my forever."

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Gigi Gorgeous & Nats Getty

The YouTube star and oil heir began their whirlwind romance after meeting in an airport in 2016. Three years later, they said "I do" during an opulent wedding ceremony at the Rosewood Miramar Beach hotel in Montecito, Calif.

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Simon Halls & Matt Bomer

This longtime couple turned business into pleasure when they fell in love while the famed Hollywood publicist was working for the Magic Mike actor. (Bomer later found a new P.R. team.)

They eventually married in 2011 and now share three sons: Kit, born in 2005, and twins Henry and Walker, born in 2008.

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Abby Wambach & Glennon Doyle

The Olympic soccer player and writer have the ultimate meet-cute story. Believe it or not, they actually met at a librarian convention in 2016. The couple made it official one year later by marrying in 2017.

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Jane Wagner & Lily Tomlin

Wagner and Tomlin have been together for—wait for it—five decades! The actress and writer/director finally tied the knot on New Year's Eve 2013, after 42 years together.

"It was sweet," Tomlin said at the time. "We didn't have any rings, so I went into our jewelry and was digging out rings."

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Nico Santos & Zeke Smith

The Superstore alum and two-time Survivor contestant said "I do" in November 2023 after six years together. When it came to their epic engagement, Smith, who is on GLAAD's Board of Directors, popped the question onstage at the LGBTQIA+ rights organization's 2022 GLAAD Media Awards.

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Rebel Wilson & Ramona Agruma

In February 2023, the Pitch Perfect star revealed she pulled off an aca-amazing proposal when she asked the clothing company founder to marry her.

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Alex Niedbalski & Wanda Sykes

For Niedbalski and Sykes, it was love at first sight. The couple met and married in 2008 and have since been outspoken advocates for equality. 

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Beanie Feldstein & Bonnie Chance Roberts

The Funny Girl star and producer wed in May 2023 in upstate New York after being together for four years. They first met while working on the 2019 film How to Build a Girl.

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Rob France & Tan France

The couple of over a decade walked down the aisle in 2007 then welcomed son Ismail in 2021 and second child Isaac in 2023.

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Jeremiah Brent & Nate Berkus

The powerhouse interior design duo met in 2012 after being introduced through mutual friend Rachel Zoe and married in 2014. The couple, who often work together and starred on the HGTV series The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project, share daughter Poppy, 8, and son Oskar, 5.

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Justin Mikita & Jesse Tyler Ferguson

After tying the knot in 2013, the Modern Family alum and producer welcomed sons Beckett, born in 2020, and Sullivan, born in 2022.

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Barbie Ferreira & Elle Puckett

The Euphoria star has been with musician partner Elle Puckett for half a decade, though they keep their relationship super private and off social media.

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MJ Rodriguez & Stephen 

The Pose alum has largely kept her relationship under wraps, but she did introduce her boyfriend Stephen to the world on social media in 2020.

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Christine Marinoni & Cynthia Nixon

This longtime couple has been together for almost 23 years! The Sex and the City star and LGBTQIA+ rights activist met in 2001 but waited until same-sex marriage was officially legalized in the state of New York before getting married in 2012. They welcomed their son Max in 2011. (Nixon also has two children from her previous marriage.)

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Mark Peacock & Jonathan Van Ness

At the end of 2020, the Queer Eye star surprised fans when they announced on Instagram that they had married their "best friend." Since then, Van Ness and the London-born fitness enthusiast have been blowing up our Instagram feeds with adorable PDA-filled photos.

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