Ellen DeGeneres & Portia De Rossi's Age Gap Is So Obvious In These Photos

It was huge news when Ellen DeGeneres (and the character she was playing) came out as gay on her ABC sitcom "Ellen" in 1997. No longer hiding her sexuality, DeGeneres went on to have a few public relationships, including with actress Anne Heche and photographer Alexandra Hedison. In 2004, at the age of 46, DeGeneres began dating another actress, Portia de Rossi, who was just 31 at the time, 15 years younger than DeGeneres. 

The couple married in 2008 and has been together ever since, through many ups and downs. Both found success on television, as DeGeneres hosted her wildly popular daytime talk show "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for two decades, while de Rossi starred in shows such as "Arrested Development" and "Scandal." However, there have also been some vicious accusations that DeGeneres bullied the staff of her show. The couple has persisted through the drama, but after more than two decades together, their age difference is really starting to show.

Here, in 2019, things were still going well for Ellen DeGeneres; it would still be another year before controversy reshaped her legacy. The couple, 11 years into their marriage, looked happy and carefree. Their styles have always contrasted, with Portia de Rossi's longer hair and oval face making her look younger than she is. Meanwhile, although DeGeneres was still rocking her short blonde locks, they definitely seemed dyed, and her age could be seen in the deepening lines on her features, especially her crow's feet.

When this photo was taken in January 2020, Ellen DeGeneres was only a few months from the scandal getting out. Does she already know something is very wrong here? Portia de Rossi wore a stylish blonde spike with earrings while clad in a dark suit, as her wife stood next to her looking much older and somewhat sad, as if she wanted to be anywhere else. While de Rossi, almost 47 here, had her own crow's feet, her hairdo and style helped her seem much younger than the seemingly depressed DeGeneres, who was in her early 60s at this point.

In this photo, taken at SoFi Stadium in California, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi were on hand to cheer for the Los Angeles Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals at the 2022 Super Bowl. The Rams won the game, but DeGeneres didn't look too thrilled. Again, DeGeneres' frown naturally aged her face. That, combined with her boring, dark green shirt, made the talk show host seem much older than de Rossi, with her vibrant clothes and long, flowing blonde locks.

Later in the same year, Ellen DeGeneres looked much happier as she posed for a photo next to her wife at the opening of RH San Francisco Gallery, with Portia de Rossi's arm wrapped around her shoulders. Their huge age disparity was again notable in their fashion style. Both women still had bright blonde hair, but with de Rossi's tight black top exposing her shoulders and DeGeneres in a baggy sweater, the untrained eye might think they were looking at a Hollywood A-list actor or fashion model standing next to her proud mother.

The married couple definitely showed their age in this 2025 photo that Ellen DeGeneres posted on her Instagram account. DeGeneres should be commended for not being afraid to show off all of her natural wrinkles. Still, it's shocking to see how the switch from her signature blonde hair to a less youthful brown bob made her look so much older. It seemed like she went without much makeup, with her eyes looking a bit beady as a result, not to mention her exposed neck revealing sagging and abundant wrinkles.

There have been rumors for years that Portia de Rossi may have had a facelift at some point. This photo from 2025 at another RH gallery opening certainly lent credence to the speculation, revealing her taut face and pinched eyes, with only minor wrinkles beneath them despite her huge smile. Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres rocked her natural, graying hair, which actually looked good, but obviously made her look like de Rossi's grandmother in comparison, especially with DeGeneres seemingly going without makeup despite her many wrinkles.