Ellen DeGeneres on ‘Oprah’s Master Class’

“And I didn’t think I’d be coming out on a show, ever”.

Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, both on the cover of Time magazine and on her sitcom Ellen, where a young actress named Oprah Winfrey played her therapist.

“You know what I didn’t know – and I was surprised at myself because I’m pretty empathetic as a person – but I really didn’t realize until I saw that Master Class how hard it was for you to say, ‘I’m gay, ‘” she said on Ellen. Keep in mind that she did not have any material prepared since it was more of an impromptu performance, but Ellen made a decision to take a creative swing at it anyway.

But DeGeneres said she felt shame that she was hiding her sexuality. The 57-year-old actor explained how she never thought she would come out on a show, let alone to the public.

Ellen describes her soul-searching process as “crazy” and “scary”, and of course, worrying about her fans and fate of her fame haunted her. “Would I still be famous?” That I love her and she loves me.

“I like this concept of Grasp Class”, Winfrey gushed, “utilizing people who find themselves identified, well-known, to inform us about their lives within the type of a category”.

DeGeneres and de Rossi were together four years before they married in 2008 in California. DeGeneres also uses her prominent position to advocate for LGBT rights, including same sex marriage and transgender equality.