Reflecting on Ellen DeGeneres’ Groundbreaking Coming-Out Episode 29 Years Later
Ellen DeGeneres is again within the highlight amid information of a brand new Dory-centered short film.
Yes, millennials and loads of others will recall that the Emmy winner, 68, as soon as voiced the beloved fish in Finding Nemo and its hit sequel, Finding Dory.
DeGeneres was additionally very a lot within the highlight almost three a long time in the past, in the meantime. ThursdayApril 30 marks precisely 29 years because the comic made a significant announcement on tv which may have caught followers without warning.
Here’s the logline of the two-part episode of her beloved sitcomEllentitled “The Puppy Episode”: Ellen’s life is modified when she meets Susan (Laura Dern), a lesbian whom she surprisingly finds enticing, and struggles with accepting her sexuality.
As followers will recall, DeGeneres herself comes out to a co-star inside the episode, which in the end obtained important acclaim, received awards and influenced Hollywood in the long run — even when the comedy collection solely lasted yet another season.
The cancellation of Ellen within the late 1990s got here amid reported clashing between DeGeneres and ABC following the episode, regardless of all of the acclaim she obtained from followers concurrently, per The New York Times.
Even although she reportedly struggled to search out work following the axing of her sitcom, DeGeneres would in the end thrive — significantly along with her daytime discuss present. In 2016, then-President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom, saying:
“Just how important it was not just to the LGBT community, but for all of us to see someone so full of kindness and light, someone we liked so much, someone who could be our neighbor or our colleague or our sister challenge our own assumptions, remind us that we have more in common than we realize, push our country in the direction of justice.”
In newer years, nevertheless, DeGeneres confronted a brand new form of backlash on account of toxicity reports on set of her long-running discuss present. But wanting forward, Pixar followers will definitely be tuning in to see her deliver Dory again to life within the all-new brief movie.
This story was initially printed by Parade on Apr 30, 2026, the place it first appeared within the News part. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
