Ellen degeneres comes out as gay

Scripts were produced on red paper with black ink a combination that was difficult to photocopy and needed to be shredded or returned to a studio safe by the end of the day.

The Impact of Ellen

Ellen DeGeneres (left) made TV history when her character came out on a episode of her sitcom "Ellen." Laura Dern guest starred as her love interest. In order to become the first TV series to have a lead character announce she was gaythe network needed to be in agreement.

DeGeneres later said of the experience, "It was like we were spies or something," she told Page Six. Many people were thrilled when news spread about Ellen 's coming out episode. But when it was time to make the episode, things got serious. I had no idea that there would be death threats or a bomb scare.

At the time, DeGeneres also revealed that she intended to come out publicly as well. When DeGeneres sat down with TIME to talk it over, this was her take on the matter: TIME: So, for the record, are you yourself gay? According to Entertainment WeeklyDeGeneres sometimes made jokes about the upcoming storyline, saying her character was going to reveal she was Lebanese, or that a role named Les Bian was being added to the show.

Ellen DeGeneres 39 Iconic

Reverend Jerry Falwell and televangelist Pat Robertson publicly mocked DeGeneres as "Ellen DeGenerate" and joined others in signing a letter that decried the show as a "blatant attempt to promote homosexuality. The title was used as a code name for Ellen's coming out so as to keep the episode under wraps.

Up to that point, only a handful of gay characters had been seen on television, and none of these were series leads. The environment around this is so angry we feel we lose no matter what we do. It was a really scary time. The groundbreaking storyline, and DeGeneres' reveal of her own sexuality, ended up having a great impact on LGBTQ performers, shows that followed Ellen and society as a whole.

The network ended up agreeing to air the storyline but the earlier exchange inspired the episode's title: "The Puppy Episode. When word of the negotiations got out, DeGeneres found herself at the center of intense speculation about when she or her character, or both, would come out.

As word of "The Puppy Episode" spread, hate mail poured into Ellen 's offices. Ellen DeGeneres: Yes. Ellen DeGeneres made history when she came out as gay on national TV, and while Hollywood was slow to embrace her, she's never shied away from living her truth.

Yet the coming-out episode also faced a backlash. When Ellen Morgan, the character Ellen DeGeneres played on her sitcom Ellencame out as gay on the show's April 30,episode, it sent shockwaves through the television industry. Preparations for the character of Ellen Morgan to come out as gay on the series Ellen began in Maywhen DeGeneres, who played the role, discussed the potential storyline with the show's writers.

Yet when the subject was initially broached one executive reportedly wanted Ellen Morgan to get a puppy instead, according to People. Supportive celebrities took roles in the show: Oprah Winfrey played the fictional Ellen's therapist and Laura Dern appeared as a potential love interest.

In the groundbreaking episode, DeGeneres became the first lead character of a TV series to announce that she was gay, and the comedian faced backlash as a result. Some advertisers withdrew from the episode. DeGeneres began negotiating with ABC in to have Morgan come out.

DeGeneres told Page Six in"I had no idea the amount of hate. In addition to her character coming out in the episode, DeGeneres also publicly shared that she was gay. Some sent in letters of gratitude and appreciation.

In addition to being a step that would let DeGeneres be honest about her own sexuality, there was hope that addressing the fictional Ellen's sexual preferences might provide direction for the TV series, and explain why the character lacked chemistry with male romantic partners.

Others, including Melissa Etheridge, Demi Moore and Billy Bob Thornton, made appearances, and even more stars wanted to be in the episode but there just weren't enough parts to go around according to Vanity Fair.