You probably saw it on your feed. A stray hashtag, a blurry thumbnail, or one of those weirdly specific "breaking news" posts that make your heart drop for a second. The question is everywhere: did Ellen DeGeneres die today? Let’s just get the big answer out of the way immediately. No, Ellen DeGeneres is not dead. Honestly, she’s actually been quite busy lately, just not in the way she used to be.
It's 2026, and the internet is still doing that thing where it kills off celebrities for clicks. It’s exhausting. One minute you're scrolling through cat videos, and the next, you’re convinced a daytime TV icon has passed away because some bot on X (formerly Twitter) said so.
Why People Think Ellen DeGeneres Died
The "death" rumors usually sprout from a few specific places. First, there’s the classic celebrity death hoax. These happen to everyone from Tom Hanks to Paul McCartney. Usually, a site with a name like "News-Global-24" posts a fake headline, and people share it without clicking.
Then there's the confusion factor. Just this week, news broke that Dilbert creator Scott Adams passed away at age 68. Sometimes, when a public figure of a certain age or era dies, the digital game of "telephone" kicks in. Someone misreads a headline, tells a friend, and suddenly the "Be Kind" lady is trending for all the wrong reasons.
Also, Ellen has been lying low. Like, really low. When a person who used to be in your living room every single afternoon suddenly vanishes from the spotlight, the internet fills that vacuum with the worst-case scenario.
Where Is Ellen Now? (The UK "Exile")
If she’s not dead, where is she? Well, she basically moved to the English countryside.
After the 2024 U.S. Election, Ellen and her wife, Portia de Rossi, decided they’d had enough of the States for a while. They packed up and headed to the Cotswolds in the UK. They even put their massive Swinbrook estate on the market recently for about £22.5 million.
Wait—didn't I just say they moved there? Yeah, but apparently, British winters are no joke. Reports from late 2025 and early 2026 suggest the couple is already "crawling back" to California. It turns out that even if you have millions, a 35-degree January day in rural England isn't quite as cozy as a Santa Barbara sunset.
The New Look and Recent Sightings
If you saw photos of Ellen recently, you might not have even recognized her. She’s ditched the signature bright blonde "Ellen hair."
Just a few days ago, on January 14, 2026, she was spotted back in Montecito, California. She was rocking a casual sweatshirt and jeans, but the real shocker was the hair—it’s now a natural, distinguished gray. She looks like she’s actually leaning into the "retired" life.
She's been doing these "In Conversation" events across the UK over the last few months, but those wrapped up toward the end of 2025. Right now, she seems to be in a transition phase, figuring out if she wants to be a full-time English gardener or a California socialite again.
The "Death" of Her Career vs. Physical Death
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. When people search "did Ellen DeGeneres die today," they are sometimes looking for news about her career.
She famously said in her Netflix special, For Your Approval, that she was "kicked out of show business for being mean." The 2020 workplace toxicity scandal basically nuked her "Queen of Nice" brand.
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While she's physically fine, the version of Ellen that everyone knew—the dancing, gift-giving, upbeat host—is pretty much gone. She has explicitly said she is "done" with the industry. She’s focusing on her chickens, her horses, and her marriage.
How to Spot a Celebrity Death Hoax
Don't get fooled next time. If you see a "RIP Ellen" post, check these things first:
- The Source: Is it CNN, BBC, or The Hollywood Reporter? If not, ignore it.
- The Date: Hoaxes often reuse old articles or photos from years ago.
- Official Socials: Check Portia de Rossi’s Instagram. If she’s posting about their dogs or a new art project, Ellen is fine.
Practical Next Steps
If you want to stay updated on what’s actually happening with Ellen without falling for the hoaxes, follow her official Instagram or Portia’s account. They are the only ones who actually know where they’re living this week. Also, keep an eye on local Montecito news—if Ellen is truly moving back to California for good, the real estate filings will show it long before a "breaking news" tweet does.
Stick to verified news outlets. The internet is a weird place, and celebrity "deaths" are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to weird 2026 rumors.