Ellen DeGeneres Reveals Painful Family Trauma: “I Wish She Had Believed Me”
Ellen DeGeneres recently opened up about a dark chapter from her past. In doing so, she hopes to help others facing similar pain and silence.
The beloved talk show host says she’s still angry—angry at those who don’t believe survivors and furious that no one protected her when she was most vulnerable.
Rising Through the Spotlight
Born in Louisiana, DeGeneres entered comedy in the late 1970s. After years of hard work, she got her big break in 1986 with a stand-up routine on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. That single appearance launched her into late-night bookings, sitcom roles, and national fame.
From 1989 to 1990, she starred in Open House, and by 1994, she headlined her own show, These Friends of Mine, later renamed Ellen.
“I was laughing out loud when I read the script,” she told The New York Times. “I wanted a show everyone talked about the next day.”
Breaking Barriers On and Off Screen
People did talk—especially when DeGeneres came out as gay both on-screen and in real life.
Though her show was canceled in 1998, Ellen’s courage made headlines, particularly as she revealed her relationship with actor Anne Heche.
Heche once said, “I saw the most ravishing woman…Her name was Ellen DeGeneres. She was radiating.”
Their relationship ended in 2000, and Heche later spoke out about her own childhood ab*se. In a 2001 interview with Barbara Walters, she revealed her father had r*ped her, starting when she was a toddler.
Speaking Out as a Survivor
DeGeneres shared a similar painful truth years later.
“As a victim of s**ual ab*se, I am furious at people who don’t believe it,” she told Today’s Savannah Guthrie in 2018. “What you remember is what happened to you, where you were, and how you feel. That’s what sticks.”
Earlier, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she discussed her experience after Busy Philipps revealed being a**aulted at 14.
“I was 15 and something happened to me,” Ellen said. “You get so angry when people don’t believe you or say, ‘Why did you wait so long?’ We’re taught to stay quiet and go along with it.”
A “Very Bad Man” and a Silence That Hurt
In a 2019 interview with David Letterman on his Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, DeGeneres went deeper. She described the abuse by her stepfather, which began when she was 15 or 16.
At the time, her mother had just undergone a mastectomy due to breast ca**er. DeGeneres said her stepfather used that medical situation as an excuse to molest her.
“He told me he needed to feel my breasts to check for lumps,” she said. “He did it once, then tried again… and again.”
Her Mother Didn’t Believe Her
DeGeneres kept the ab*se to herself for years. When she finally confided in her mother, her mother didn’t believe her.
“I should have protected myself, not her,” Ellen said. “She stayed married to him for 18 more years.”
Eventually, her mother left the man—but only after his stories became inconsistent.
Now, Ellen reflects on the emotional toll:
“I didn’t really let it get to me until recently. I wish I had been better taken care of. I wish she had believed me.”
Though her mother later apologized, Ellen’s pain lingers. Yet, she continues to support her and care for her to this day.
A Voice for the Silenced
By sharing her story, Ellen DeGeneres joins countless others who are choosing to speak up. Her voice, along with theirs, helps bring awareness to a topic too often ignored.
We hope her honesty inspires others to break their silence.
What do you think about Ellen’s story? Share your thoughts—and share this story—to help keep the conversation going.
