PORTIA DE ROSSI’s shocking comments about coming to grips with her sexuality have rocked her already shaky five-year marriage to ELLEN DeGENERES, says a source.
The televised remarks come only weeks after The ENQUIRER revealed that the lesbian couple was having problems over Ellen’s workaholic ways, real estate fixation and flirtations with other women. Speaking candidly to interviewer Amanda de Cadenet on her “Lifetime” show, Portia recalled how she’d struggled with being gay.
“I just didn’t want to be a lesbian,” the 40-year-old actress revealed. “I’d never met one for a start, and I thought they were strange, they hated men and were very serious.
“I had these ridiculous images in my head, and there were no ‘out’ celebrities or politicians or anybody I could look to and go, ‘Oh, I could be like that.’ There was nobody that I could say, ‘I could date her and I want to be like her.’ I just kind of thought I don’t want to live like this.”
Portia, who came out in 2005, also talked about the toll it took. While starring on “Ally McBeal” from 1998 to 2002, she secretly suffered from an eating disorder that she blames on her conflicted feelings. But a source says Portia’s candid talk enraged Ellen.
“It’s added more tension to their already troubled marriage,” disclosed a friend. “Ellen’s a champion of gay rights and doesn’t like Portia saying, in essence, that being gay is ‘strange.’”
The talk-show host – who announced she was a lesbian in 1997 – was also upset by Portia claiming that no other celebrities were “out” during the time she was wrestling with her sexuality.
“That really stung, because Ellen came out before Portia had even landed her spot on ‘Ally McBeal’ in 1998,” noted the friend.
“Now Portia is walking on eggshells around Ellen.”
