Ellen DeGeneres says she's “still
waiting for that puppy” 15 years after her coming-out-gay episode
aired.
“Today's the anniversary of 'The
Puppy Episode' of my sitcom,” DeGeneres tweeted to her nearly 11
million followers on Monday. “I'm still waiting for that puppy.”
The talk show host was referring to the
15th anniversary of the broadcast of her character's
coming out on the ABC hit sitcom Ellen.
The Puppy Episode was an
enormous ratings success and became a cultural phenomenon, but a
backlash from social conservatives led to her series' cancellation
after only one more season as advertisers, including JCPenney, pulled
out. DeGeneres, who also officially came out, was driven out of
Hollywood.
“I didn't work, didn't have any
money. No one [in the business] would even talk to me on the phone,”
DeGeneres told PARADE.
She turned things around by convincing
Hollywood that she was “not just gay” but “a funny woman who
happens to be gay.”
Today, DeGeneres is married to actress
Portia de Rossi, hosts her own syndicated talk show, The Ellen
DeGeneres Show, and ranks 33 on Forbes'
list of the most powerful people in the entertainment business.
And JCPenney? They
hired DeGeneres as their spokesperson.