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Betty DeGeneres

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Betty DeGeneres
DeGeneres in 2011
Born
Betty Jane Pfeffer

(1930-05-20) May 20, 1930 (age 94)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
OccupationActivist
Spouses
Elliott DeGeneres
​
​
(m. 1952; div. 1974)​
Roy Gruessendorf
​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1991)​
ChildrenVance DeGeneres (son)
Ellen DeGeneres (daughter)
RelativesPortia De Rossi (daughter-in-law)

Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer; born May 20, 1930) is an American LGBT rights activist.[1] Through her first marriage to her ex-husband Elliott DeGeneres, she is the mother of Ellen and Vance DeGeneres, and the mother-in-law of retired actress Portia De Rossi. She was the first straight spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project[2] and an active member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). She gained notability following her lesbian daughter Ellen's highly publicized coming out in 1997.[3]

Life and career

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DeGeneres (right) in 1997

The youngest of three daughters, DeGeneres was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1930, during the height of the Great Depression.[4] Her father was German and her mother was Irish.[3] Her sisters (Helen and Audrey) were not involved in day-to-day family life while DeGeneres was in her late teens, but the sisters did become close in adulthood.[4] She attended Louisiana State University (LSU) for two years, studying speech language pathology to become a speech therapist. While in college she performed in a number of plays with Joanne Woodward, who would go on to be an Academy Award-winning actress.[3]

She married Elliott DeGeneres in 1952. The couple divorced in 1974. Shortly afterwards, DeGeneres married Roy Gruessendorf, who moved the family to Texas. DeGeneres was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her second marriage. Their marriage ended in the early 1990s; Gruessendorf died in 1997.[5] In 2005, Ellen spoke publicly for the first time about the molestation she had suffered from her stepfather when she was a teenager.[6] DeGeneres returned to LSU after the age of 50 to complete her master's degree in speech pathology.[4]

DeGeneres is the author of two books: Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey and Just a mother.[7] In Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey, Betty describes her reaction to her daughter coming out as a lesbian, and her path from passive acceptance to becoming a passionate advocate for LGBT rights.[8][9] She also describes the media scrutiny she received after Ellen came out. Her second book, Just a mother, continues these themes. She also wrote a column for the (now defunct) website PlanetOut called "Ask Betty."[10]

DeGeneres appeared as an extra in the episode "The Puppy Episode" of the television sitcom Ellen, in which her daughter Ellen's character comes out. DeGeneres appears in many episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, sitting in the audience.[4]

DeGeneres survived breast cancer and has discussed this during public appearances.[11]

In her 2024 Netflix special For Your Approval, daughter Ellen said DeGeneres had been diagnosed with dementia.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Mother of Comedian Ellen DeGeneres Is Dream Mom for Gays/Support for daughter leads to activism". SFGate. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "Yep, I'm an activist: Betty DeGeneres, Ellen's mom, agrees to serve as spokeswoman for HRC's coming-out project", The Advocate, October 28, 1997
  3. ^ a b c "Betty DeGeneres". THE LAVENDER EFFECT®. January 24, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "'America's Mom' Betty DeGeneres Discusses Ellen, Parenting, and Lady Gaga". Boston.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "Roy Gruessendorf, Ellen's Stepfather: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  6. ^ "Ellen DeGeneres: I Was Molested". People. May 18, 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  7. ^ "Betty DeGeneres". Goodreads. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  8. ^ Degeneres, Betty (April 26, 2000). Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-688-17688-4.
  9. ^ "Ellen DeGeneres' Mom Remembers How She Came Out as Gay". PEOPLE.com. June 26, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  10. ^ "PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Internet Site and Betty DeGeneres, Author And Spokesmom, Launch New Online Advice Channel 'Ask Betty' to Celebrate Gay Pride Weekend 1999". Highbeam.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.[dead link]
  11. ^ "DeGeneres on a mission: Breast cancer awareness – USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  12. ^ Kaur, Brahmjot (April 26, 2024). "Ellen DeGeneres Says She Was 'Kicked Out of Show Business' for Being 'Mean'". E!. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
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