Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Are So Romantic! See the Couple’s Relationship Timeline

Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, will always have each other’s backs. A timeline of the Ellen DeGeneres Show star and the Arrested Development actress’ relationship is a testament that their marriage continues to get stronger as the years go on.

Ellen and Portia’s relationship began when they met at a photo shoot in 2004. Although their love story was just getting started, Portia actually had her eyes on the TV host for a long time after she spotted Ellen at an event in 2000.

While it took over three years for the two to exchange information, Ellen and Portia’s relationship quickly kicked off, and by 2005, they confirmed they were a couple. Chatting with People in November of that year, the Emmy Award winner gushed over their sweet bond.

“It’s the first time that I’ve known in every cell of my being that I’m with somebody for the rest of my life,” Ellen said of Portia at the time. The Finding Nemo star and the Ally McBeal actress got engaged in May 2008, and more than two months later, they tied the knot.

“Ellen was going to surprise me with a commitment ceremony at a joint birthday party that we were going to have, so we made the date of August the 16th, and during that time, gay marriage became legal in California,” Portia explained during a TV appearance in 2012. “So we were about to have this ceremony and then, all of a sudden, it was like a gift that it was then legal.”

Juggling their marriage and their hectic Hollywood careers can be challenging at times, but Ellen and Portia always make their relationship their No. 1 priority. The longtime lovebirds even have a secret to their successful romance.

“We’re just really good friends and we talk about everything and we never, ever, lie to each other, like not even the tiniest lies,” the Scandal actress marveled to Entertainment Tonight in 2016. “[Ellen is] the only person I want to hang out with. She is my best friend and I just want to be with her all the time.”

Prior to their marriage, Ellen was previously linked to actress Anne Heche from 1997 to 2000, as well as director and photographer Alexandra Hedison from 2000 until 2004. As for Portia, the film star was married to filmmaker Mel Metcalfe from 1996 to 1999.

Scroll through the gallery below to see a complete timeline of Ellen and Portia’s relationship!