Ellen DeGeneres Gets Teary-Eyed As Portia De Rossi Gives Her The 'Best' Birthday Gift
Portia de Rossi surprises Ellen DeGeneres with a special birthday gift that brings the talk show host to tears on her show.
DeGeneres marked her 60th birthday on Thursday's episode of The Ellen Show and a number of special guests showed up to celebrate, including wife of nine years, de Rossi.
Seated on the guest chair across DeGeneres, the Arrested Development actress explains that she wanted to give her wife a present that combines her biggest influences, advocacies, and character. De Rossi adds that for around two years, DeGeneres have been feeling like she hasn't been doing enough.
Saving Gorillas With Dian Fossey
A video played of de Rossi sharing her wife's love for animals and life-long idol, the late primatologist Dian Fossey. Fossey played a huge role in the research and protection of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. She was brutally killed in her camp in 1985, but Fossey's legacy fund continues to help ensure the survival of the critically endangered animal.
"For your birthday, Ellen, I am bringing you and your hero, Dian, together by building The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund," de Rossi says in the video. "Ellen, you will carry on Dian's legacy by giving them a permanent home in Rwanda. Now, you will join Dian as a protector and champion of these amazing animals, the mountain gorillas."
During the show, de Rossi explains that the campus is only the first of many initiatives of the new Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, which the actress also set up for her wife. The fund can be used to support wildlife protection efforts, such as DeGeneres' previous work with elephants in the wild.
"When we got married, Portia's line was, 'It's good to be loved, it's profound to be understood,'" Ellen tells the audience as she wiped her tears at her wife's surprise. "And she understands me, because that is the best gift that anybody could have given me."
We’re still spinning with joy from today’s amazing birthday gift from @portiaderossi & #EllenDeGeneres. Portia’s 60th-birthday present to her wife will help build a permanent, state-of-the-art home for the scientists advancing work begun by our founder Dian Fossey. @TheEllenShow pic.twitter.com/M0rcWh2IXH
— Fossey Gorilla Fund (@SavingGorillas) February 1, 2018
Ellen's 60th Birthday Show
De Rossi may have had the best surprise, but the special two-hour birthday episode of The Ellen Show also had plenty of celebrity guests who stopped by to drop off their gifts and well-wishes to the host.
Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara, who is a regular guest of the show, gave DeGeneres an electric scooter to commemorate her age. Then, Jimmy Kimmel glided onto the stage in full figure skating attire to play a game.
Jamie Foxx also popped in for champagne, followed by a special appearance by Chance the Rapper who came bearing flowers.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama also showed up in the previous episode to offer her first interview since leaving the White House.
Watch the DeGeneres receiving de Rossi's special gift below.
