Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are giving back in a major way to a cause that’s extremely close to both of them.
The power couple hosted their “Gorillapalooza” event on Oct. 12, 2019 where they helped The Ellen Fund raise money to support gorilla conservation.
Ellen shared a loved up snap with her wife at the event writing, “Out with my favorite date for my favorite cause. #Gorillapalooza @TheEllenFund.”
Out with my favorite date for my favorite cause. #Gorillapalooza @TheEllenFund pic.twitter.com/2JENH8YNsB
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 13, 2019
The Ellen Fund, which was founded by Portia in 2018 and gifted to Ellen holds a special place in the talk show host’s heart.
“Ellen DeGeneres is well-known for her comedy, but what isn’t as commonly known is her passion for protecting our wildlife. In fact, her hero since childhood was Dian Fossey, the legendary figure featured in the book and movie Gorillas in the Mist. With this in mind, Portia de Rossi (Ellen’s wife and fellow actor) surprised Ellen with the birthday gift-of-a-lifetime: an opportunity to follow in her hero’s footsteps by establishing a home for The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund through the newly established Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund,” The Ellen Fund’s website reads. “This gift gave Ellen — and the millions who love her — the opportunity to be a champion for an endangered species, just like Ellen’s hero Dian Fossey. And while it happens to be Ellen’s name on the Fund, one person alone can’t do this without the help, support, funding and love of a large community. The Ellen Fund is and always will be a team effort. It is, in fact, the only way that we can save these animals… with your help. And so it is today that The Ellen Fund is led by Ellen and Portia, with an amazing team keeping all the pieces moving together, as well as an incredible partner in The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.”
While at “Gorillapalooza” the dynamic duo chatted with Access Hollywood’s Kit Hoover and Ellen gushed about how Portia gifted her the charity.
“I can’t believe we’re having a fundraiser to actually do this thing that (Portia) thought of, that actually she made this happen,” Ellen said. “It’s incredible.”
She also revealed that she’s wanted to help gorillas since she was 12!
“To think that when I was 12 years old this is what I wanted to do, I wanted to move to Africa, I wanted to take care of gorillas, I wanted to do what Dian Fossey was doing,” she told Kit.
“I went in a whole different direction and now because I went in a different direction I’m able to do this,” she added. “It’s just amazing to have my name next to her name – it’s probably one of the most, you know, the most important things that I’ll ever do in my life.”