Ellen DeGeneres opened up about her wife Portia de Rossi’s emergency surgery scare at the start of Tuesday’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The 63-year-old comedienne revealed in her humorous monologue that she found Portia on the floor in extreme pain after she went to bed early.
People previously reported that the 48-year-old Arrested Development star had been rushed to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery, though she’s now at home and ‘doing well.’
Setting the record straight: Ellen DeGeneres, 63, opened up about her rush to the hospital with her wife Portia de Rosi, 48, after the actress came down with appendicitis on the monologue for Tuesday’s episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
‘It started on Friday in the evening around 7:30…’ Ellen said after explaining that she’d had a cannabis drink to relax in the evening.
‘I’m sitting there watching TV with Portia and Portia said, “I’m not feeling well. I want to go to bed.” And it was like 8:00 and that’s early. I’m not used to going to bed that early. We go to bed around 8:30,’ she joked.
The Finding Dori star admitted she has had trouble sleeping for much of her life, so she took an over-the-counter ‘sleep vitamin’ to help her get to bed.
But as she was starting to fall asleep, she heard a noise and noticed that Portia wasn’t next to her.
‘I look over and Portia is not in bed next to me… I get out of bed and I find Portia on the floor on all fours. And I’m like, “Baby are you okay?” And she says, “Yeah, I’m okay.” And I said, “Well you’re okay if you’re playing Twister by yourself, but you’re not okay.”‘
Something’s off: ‘I’m sitting there watching TV with Portia and Portia said, “I’m not feeling well. I want to go to bed.” And it was like 8:00 and that’s early. I’m not used to going to bed that early. We go to bed around 8:30,’ she joked; seen in January 2020
Something’s wrong: As she was falling asleep, she noticed Portia wasn’t in bed and found her on the ground in excruciating pain
Quick transport: Ellen drove Portia to the hospital, where doctors did a CT scan to confirm she had appendicitis
Ellen got behind the wheel to rush Portia to the hospital, where doctors gave her a CT scan, though Ellen wasn’t allowed to stay there due to Covid-19 protocols.
‘They said we have to admit her to the hospital and they won’t let me stay because of COVID and so that’s upsetting to me. They sent me home and I’m crying,’ the host continued, adding, ‘Because someone was chopping onions at the nurse’s station.’
She joked that Portia was in so much pain that she begged a nurse for more pain killers. When she couldn’t give her any extra without the doctor’s approval, Ellen said the actress tried to offer her tickets to The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which are free.
‘I am happy to report Portia is feeling much better now. She’s home. She came home late yesterday. Not all of her, she left her appendix at the hospital,’ Ellen said.
She concluded her monologue by joking that she would be auctioning off Portia’s removed appendix on eBay.
Having a laugh: Ellen joked that Portia bargained with a nurse for more pain meds by offering tickets to her talk show. She also joked that she would auction the appendix on eBay; seen together in 2011
People first reported Ellen’s trip to the hospital with Portia earlier on Monday.
‘Ellen rushed Portia to the hospital on Friday night, she was in a lot of pain,’ a source told the publication. ‘It was appendicitis and she had surgery.’
The source added that Portia is ‘now resting at home, doing well and Ellen is taking care of her. It was a scare at first, but all good.’
Appendicitis is condition where the appendix becomes inflamed and filled with pus, which can be excruciatingly painful.
Treatment generally involves removing the infected organ. If it’s not treated quickly, the appendix can burst, spreading the infection throughout the body, which can be deadly.
Ellen was pictured out on Sunday talking a stroll on the beach in Santa Barbara with a pal after a lunch outing.
This is the second health scare to rock the couple, who married in 2008, in the past six months after Ellen battled coronavirus in December.
On the mend: A source told People that Portia, 48, is ‘now resting at home, doing well and Ellen is taking care of her. It was a scare at first, but all good; seen in 2019 in NYC
Fresh air: Ellen was pictured out on Sunday taking a walk with a friend in Santa Barbara after a lunch outing
At the time, Ellen, 63, revealed she was positive for COVID-19 on social media, writing: ‘Hi Everyone, I want to let you all know that I tested positive for Covid-19.
‘Fortunately, I’m feeling fine right now. Anyone who has been in close contact with me has been notified, and I am following all proper CDC guidelines.’
‘Please stay healthy and safe,’ she concluded. ‘Love, Ellen.’
Portia previously talked about how the pandemic has made the couple stronger.
‘We’ve grown together as a couple, and we really consider each other and put our relationship first,’ she told People in February. ‘By doing that, you become a lot more solid. I can’t imagine spending time with anyone but her.’
Ellen added: ‘We think the same things, say the same things at the same time, finish each other’s sandwiches — no, sentences. We’re in a rhythm that’s easy.’
Got through it: This is the second health scare to rock the couple, who married in 2008, in the past six months after Ellen battled coronavirus in December
‘We’ve grown together as a couple, and we really consider each other and put our relationship first,’ Portia, who married Ellen in 2008, told People in February. The couple are seen here in January 2020
Meanwhile, Ellen has inked an exclusive multi-year deal with the Discovery Channel to produce natural history documentaries, according to Deadline.
The talk show host, who faced accusations from both current and former employees that she fostered a toxic workplace last year, is slated to narrate and executive produce a documentary titled Endangered.
Endangered, which will be released on Earth Day, April 22, on Discovery+, will follow a ‘dedicated wildlife conservationists across the globe’ as ‘they compile the latest version of The Red List.’
‘Ellen’s dedication to the environment and her love for all animals, including the most endangered creatures who call our planet home, is unmatched,’ Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer, Discovery and Factual told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Ellen has inked an exclusive multi-year deal with the Discovery Channel to produce natural history documentaries, according to Deadline