 |
| Ellen DeGeneres in Toronto - August 2011 |
"I never remember my dreams, but this one was so vivid. I saw a bird in a beautiful cage which after being trapped for a while, I realized the bars were actually wide enough for it to fly out" says Ellen DeGeneres, reflecting on a dream she had one night in 1997 before her career-changing decision to out herself as a Gay Woman. "I don't belong in a cage".
Making a rare appearance in Toronto, Ellen DeGeneres headlined the Power of Women Conference at Metro Toronto Convention Centre before a crowd of 4,000 people - predominantly Women - some paying $229, some paying up to $1,500 for a chance to meet her. Not all were lucky enough to have their Photo taken with her however due to time constraints. The Award-winning Comedienne-turned-National Darling revealed a more candid side to her that we don't normally see on her syndicated Daytime Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, now in its ninth season.
Once starring in the top-rated Sitcom, Ellen, she approached her Team about the idea of having her character coming-out as a Gay Woman and understandably they didn't want this to happen for fear of alienating their audience. After "coming-out" publicly on The Oprah Winfrey Show, followed by her own character doing the same shortly thereafter on the Series, DeGeneres admits to having been depressed. "I lost everything for three years. I had no money, was getting no work and nobody wanted to represent me", she admits openly. "Every time I turned on the Television I was the butt of someone's jokes. My Therapist then told me to stop watching Television... I did a lot of crying during that time in my life.".
