Ellen DeGeneres’ Retirement Has ‘Taken a Toll’ on Portia de Rossi Marriage: She ‘Doesn’t Have Space’

So much for their Forever Home. In 2022, Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi dropped $70 million on a stunning mansion in the exclusive seaside enclave of Carpinteria, California. But barely two years later, the couple have unloaded the home, sparking speculation that they’re heading for a divorce.

“Ellen is known for flipping houses, but this one is different. It was their dream home,” says a source, adding that there are whispers the pair have hit another rough patch in their marriage. “They just celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary [on August 16], but it wasn’t exactly celebratory. Ellen being home all the time has taken a toll on their marriage. And Portia isn’t working much either. They’re always in each other’s face, and frankly, they’re getting on each other’s nerves.”

Ironically, Portia, 51, had long pushed Ellen, 66, to retire from her talk show. “Now Portia probably wishes she hadn’t,” says the source. “She doesn’t have her space. Every time she turns around, there’s Ellen.”

On their anniversary, the comedian — who recently returned to stand-up — shared that she was in Minneapolis filming her final Netflix special, “so they had a little break from each other there. Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder, and when Ellen returns, she and Portia will get back on track. Ellen has lost so much in recent years — it would be terrible if she lost Portia, too.”