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Ellen DeGeneres' blonde pixie cut became so deeply associated with the comedian that many dubbed the signature look "The Ellen." But as the former talk show host, 66, was spotted in Montecito, CA on Tuesday, January 14, after spending months in England with wife Portia de Rossi, the blonde locks were nowhere to be seen. Instead, DeGeneres sported a grey, short haircut in the photos obtained by E! News.
After receiving significant backlash for creating what many called a "toxic work environment" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020, DeGeneres exited the spotlight, keeping a low profile with the Arrested Development actress, 51.
The Finding Dory star popped back up in the spotlight with the release of a Netflix special, For Your Approval, which was released in September 2024. She also performed to a nearly sold-out crowd in Santa Rosa, CA in July 2024, during which she joked that she "got kicked out of show business for being mean," noting that she'd previously been "kicked out" for being a lesbian in 1997. "Next time, I'll be kicked out for being old. Old, gay and mean, the triple crown," she told the audience, per SF Gate. She referred to her Netflix special as her last, but during the show said, "I'm here because I love doing stand-up, and I miss doing stand-up, and I like making people happy, and I do care what people think."
In the wake of Donald Trump's election, sources say that DeGeneres and de Rossi decided to "get the hell out" of the U.S., and bought a cottage in The Cotswolds region of the U.K.
On this outing in Montecito, where the famous couple sold one of their properties in March 2024 for $32 million, DeGeneres kept it casual with jeans, white sneakers, a grey sweatshirt over a white undershirt, and aviator sunglasses.