Ellen DeGeneres, girlfriend plan to wed in wake of ruling

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ellen DeGeneres is putting the state Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage into action - she and actress Portia de Rossi plan to wed, DeGeneres announced during a taping of her talk show.

DeGeneres was taping the episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Thursday, the day California's high court struck down state laws against gay marriage, and it was to air Friday, a person close to the production said.

The person, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Citing the high court's ruling, DeGeneres said she and girlfriend de Rossi ("Ally McBeal," "Nip/Tuck") would be getting married.

De Rossi, 35, who was in the studio, and DeGeneres, 50, were applauded by the audience attending the show, the person close to the production said.

Calls and e-mails late Thursday to DeGeneres' publicist were not returned.

The court ruling means same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. However, religious and social conservatives are seeking to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

DeGeneres has boldly used TV before to make a stand for gay rights.

In 1997, she brought her character on the ABC sitcom "Ellen" out of the closet, making the show the first on prime-time network TV to have an openly gay lead. The move drew cheers from gay civil rights organizations but was condemned by some religious groups.

A month before, DeGeneres had proclaimed from the cover of Time magazine that she was a lesbian.

She and ABC later battled over how to present gay-themed scripts, with DeGeneres at one point threatening to quit "Ellen" when the network placed an "adult content" warning on an episode in which her character, Ellen Morgan, jokingly kissed a heterosexual female friend.

After her sitcom was canceled and another flopped, DeGeneres found success with her Emmy-winning talk show that debuted in 2003.

Last month, when Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared on DeGeneres' show and voiced support for fair treatment for same-sex couples, DeGeneres responded: "That's all we want is to be fair. I like it. I like it."

DeGeneres and the glamorous de Rossi have been a familiar couple at Hollywood events, including the Academy Awards. Previously, DeGeneres had a high-profile relationship with actress Anne Heche.

In a 2005 interview with Allure magazine, the comedian said she hoped she and de Rossi are "together the rest of our lives."

"I never would have thought my life would have turned out this way," DeGeneres told the magazine. "To have money. Or to have a gorgeous girlfriend. I just feel so lucky with everything in my life right now."