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| Ellen DeGeneres officially came out as a lesbian both on her 90's sitcom 'Ellen' and in real life, and friend Oprah Winfrey was there to support her. |
Oprah Winfrey has gone through more than her fair share of hardships, but one of her most memorable experiences came when she was playing the role of supportive friend to fellow talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Back in the late 90s, Winfrey reveals in a recent intervew with The Hollywood Reporter, she guest-starred on DeGeneres' sitcom "Ellen" as the therapist that DeGeneres' character Ellen Morgan comes out to.
The April 30, 1997 episode, marked a breakthrough in mainstream television, touching upon the previously taboo topic of homosexuality in a very open manner.
As a result, however, Winfrey says she was also attacked in a series of nasty letters and phone calls.
"It always turns to race," the media mogul told THR. "I got all of the, 'N----, go back to Africa. Who do you think you are?'"
STARS WHO'VE COME OUT
But, Winfrey says, making the decision to take part in DeGeneres' very public coming out was an easy decision, in spite of the harsh reactions.
"I did it because she asked me to do it and I wanted to support her," she added. "It didn't occur to me that there would be a backlash."
As a result of the episode, a number of advertisers, including Chrysler, pulled their advertising dollars from the show and Rev. Jerry Falwell even called DeGeneres "Ellen DeGenerate," the Hollywood Reporter reports.
Still, Winfrey argues that DeGeneres would not be as big a star these days if it hadn't been for the trials and tribulations the talk show host had to go through.
"Being able to be free - literally - and to express herself in a way that she can be 100 percent truthful with the audience has allowed them to fall in love with her," she said. "Honest-to-God truth: I don't believe she would have been as successful as she has become had she not come out."
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