Ellen DeGeneres became a household name in 1986 when she performed on the Johnny Carson show and became the first woman to ever be invited over to his desk after her set for a chat (the late night host's invite to the desk was famously the stamp of approval or highest compliment, offered only to comics who had really impressed him). Then she lost everything when she made the bold decision to come out as a lesbian on national TV in 1997. Then she clawed her way back to the top and had one of the most successful talk shows of all time, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which earned her a $370 million net worth. Recently, she stepped down from the show amidst accusations of a toxic work environment.
With such a wild timeline, it's interesting to take a look back at where Ellen came from. Her parents, Elizabeth Jane Pfeffer and Elliott Everett DeGeneres, came from humble beginnings and probably could never have imagined what a huge empire their daughter would build. Here is everything we know about the parents of megastar Ellen DeGeneres.
10 They Were Both Born In New Orleans
Ellen's dad, Elliott DeGeneres, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1925. Her mom, Elizabeth "Betty" Jane DeGeneres (nee Pfeffer), was born there in 1930 during the height of the Great Depression. Both families had deep roots in Louisiana and Mississippi. Betty attended LSU and worked at Tulane University for a time.
9 They Were Married From 1952 To 1974
Elliott and Betty divorced in 1974, when Ellen was just 13 years old. When Betty married her second husband Roy Gruessendorf, Ellen went to live with them in Atlanta, Texas, while Vance stayed with Elliott in New Orleans (Vance would go on to become a writer on Ellen and a producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show).
8 Betty Survived Breast Cancer
Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her marriage to Gruessendorf. Ellen has spoken of the secrecy and stigma of the issue at the time, saying that they never discussed Betty's mastectomy and explaining that that is the reason she is so passionate about awareness and transparency around breast cancer today.
7 There Was Tension Between Ellen And Betty
Devastatingly, Ellen was molested by her stepfather, Roy Gruessendorf, when she was a teenager, a fact she only shared in 2005. Ellen didn't tell Betty for a long time, and when she did, Betty didn't believe her and stayed married to him for many more years. Now, the mother and daughter are very close. Betty has spoken candidly about living with the regret of letting that happen to her daughter, and she is passionate about warning other parents to believe and support their children if they come forward with similar claims.
6 Elliott Was A Christian Scientist
Ellen has spoken about her father's strict, lifelong adherence to Christian Science, a belief system that posits that illnesses and ailments can be cured by prayer. Apparently Elliott had never used medicine or went to a doctor in his life, and Ellen says she never got vaccinated as a kid. (Neither Ellen nor Betty are Christian Scientists; Ellen recently celebrated getting the COVID vaccine on her show.)
5 Betty Is A Speech Pathologist
Betty attended Louisiana State University for two years, studying speech language pathology in hopes of becoming a speech therapist. Soon, family life took over for a number of years, but she returned to LSU at the age of 50 to complete her Master's in speech pathology. We see you, Betty!
4 Elliott Took Ellen To Warner Brothers On Vacation As A Kid
Ellen has shared that her dad took her to the Warner Brothers studio while they were on vacation once when she was young, and that he got a huge kick out of the fact that Ellen now had her name on an entire studio lot. He loved her show and loved that she was in entertainment.
3 Betty Is A Passionate LGBTQ Rights Activist
Ellen's mom has written two books, Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey and Just a Mom, both of which chronicle her journey to becoming an outspoken LGBTQ activist. She explains that when Ellen first came out, she was only passively accepting, but has learned a lot about what it means to be an ally and is now a fierce advocate and organizer for LGBTQ rights.
2 Elliott Passed Away In 2018
Ellen's dad passed away in 2018 at the age of 92, and Ellen made a touching tribute to him on the show at that time. She shared that he had lived his life exactly as he'd wanted to and that she had been there for him in some of his final moments. She was glad she had the chance to talk to him before he went, and she even saw a rainbow in the sky shortly after Elliott died.
1 They Are Both Extremely Proud Of Her
It's hard to imagine parents that wouldn't be proud of a kid who'd accomplished as much as theirs, but it's moving to note anyway: Elliott and Betty were loving and supportive parents and admired her career (as well as Vance's), Elliott until he died in 2018 and Betty to this day. Betty lives in a house that Ellen bought for her two blocks from the studio where The Ellen DeGeneres Show films, so that she can attend the show at least once a week (she used to come every day!).
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