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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 .
Betty DeGeneres was born Elizabeth Jane Pfeffer, on May 20, 1930, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father was of German descent, and her mother was of Irish descent. She had two elder sisters, Helen and Audrey. DeGeneres was born during the time of the ‘Great Depression.’
Sep 12, 2023 · Meet Betty DeGeneres: Ellen’s Mom. Betty DeGeneres, born Elizabeth Jane Pfeffer, was not only a remarkable parent but also an influential figure in her own right. She is 90 years old and was born on May 20, 1930, in Violet, Louisiana, a small town located in St. Bernard Parish. Betty was a vibrant personality, known for her warmth and compassion.
- 10 They Were Both Born in New Orleans
- 9 They Were Married from 1952 to 1974
- 8 Betty Survived Breast Cancer
- 7 There Was Tension Between Ellen and Betty
- 6 Elliott Was A Christian Scientist
- 5 Betty Is A Speech Pathologist
- 4 Elliott Took Ellen to Warner Brothers on Vacation as A Kid
- 3 Betty Is A Passionate LGBTQ Rights Activist
- 2 Elliott Passed Away in 2018
- 1 They Are Both Extremely Proud of Her
Ellen's dad, Elliott DeGeneres, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1925. Her mom, Elizabeth "Betty" Jane DeGeneres (nee Pfeffer), was born there in 1930 during the height of the Great Depression. Both families had deep roots in Louisiana and Mississippi. Betty attended LSU and worked at Tulane University for a time.
Elliott and Betty divorced in 1974, when Ellen was just 13 years old. When Betty married her second husband Roy Gruessendorf, Ellen went to live with them in Atlanta, Texas, while Vance stayed with Elliott in New Orleans (Vance would go on to become a writer on Ellen and a producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show).
Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her marriage to Gruessendorf. Ellen has spoken of the secrecy and stigma of the issue at the time, saying that they never discussed Betty's mastectomy and explaining that that is the reason she is so passionate about awareness and transparency around breast cancer today. Related: Ellen DeGeneres ...
Devastatingly, Ellen was molested by her stepfather, Roy Gruessendorf, when she was a teenager, a fact she only shared in 2005. Ellen didn't tell Betty for a long time, and when she did, Betty didn't believe her and stayed married to him for many more years. Now, the mother and daughter are very close. Betty has spoken candidly about living with th...
Ellen has spoken about her father's strict, lifelong adherence to Christian Science, a belief system that posits that illnesses and ailments can be cured by prayer. Apparently Elliott had never used medicine or went to a doctor in his life, and Ellen says she never got vaccinated as a kid. (Neither Ellen nor Betty are Christian Scientists; Ellen re...
Betty attended Louisiana State University for two years, studying speech language pathology in hopes of becoming a speech therapist. Soon, family life took over for a number of years, but she returned to LSU at the age of 50 to complete her Master's in speech pathology. We see you, Betty! Related: Ellen DeGeneres Gives Portia Her Appendix Back For ...
Ellen has shared that her dad took her to the Warner Brothers studio while they were on vacation once when she was young, and that he got a huge kick out of the fact that Ellen now had her name on an entire studio lot. He loved her show and loved that she was in entertainment.
Ellen's mom has written two books, Love, Ellen: A Mother Daughter Journey and Just a Mom, both of which chronicle her journey to becoming an outspoken LGBTQ activist. She explains that when Ellen first came out, she was only passively accepting, but has learned a lot about what it means to be an ally and is now a fierce advocate and organizer for L...
Ellen's dad passed away in 2018 at the age of 92, and Ellen made a touching tribute to him on the show at that time. She shared that he had lived his life exactly as he'd wanted to and that she had been there for him in some of his final moments. She was glad she had the chance to talk to him before he went, and she even saw a rainbow in the sky sh...
It's hard to imagine parents that wouldn't be proud of a kid who'd accomplished as much as theirs, but it's moving to note anyway: Elliott and Betty were loving and supportive parents and admired her career (as well as Vance's), Elliott until he died in 2018 and Betty to this day. Betty lives in a house that Ellen bought for her two blocks from the...
Aug 21, 2024 · Ellen DeGeneres’ mother, Betty DeGeneres, has reportedly been diagnosed with dementia. The comedian opened up about her 94-year-old mother’s diagnosis during her recent stand-up comedy set at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 1, a source revealed to In Touch Weekly. “My whole identity used to be wrapped up in that show, and ...
Aug 7, 2023 · Betty was married to Elliott DeGeneres from 1952 to 1974, and then to Roy Gruessendorf whom she divorced in 1991. Both of her ex-husbands are now late; Roy died sometime in 1997 while Elliott passed on in January 2018. Ellen’s Father Elliott DeGeneres Died at The Age of 92. Full Name: Elliott Everett DeGeneres.
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She and her first husband, Elliott DeGeneres, welcomed actor son Vance DeGeneres in 1954 and future comedienne and television personality Ellen DeGeneres in 1958. Born Elizabeth Jane Pfeffer, Betty DeGeneres kept her first husband's surname after marrying her second husband Roy Gruessendorf. Associated With
