Portia de Rossi Recalls Meeting Ellen DeGeneres on CBS Sunday Morning (Video)

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In a profile set to air on CBS Sunday Morning, Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi recall the early stages of their relationship. Closeted at the time, de Rossi explains how DeGeneres helped her open up about her sexuality.

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“She seems to like the person that I really am.  So that kinda gave me the courage to think that maybe other people will, too,” de Rossi says. “And that includes being gay and being very open about it and having had some struggles in the past.”

At the time of their meeting, de Rossi admits that she weighed 168-pounds and was extremely self-conscious.

“I instantly adored her. But I was very closeted and very heavy. And I thought that no one would ever love me if… they knew I was gay and especially if they saw I was fat,” she says. “The fact that she noticed me at that point and liked who I was, was kind of significant. Yeah, it was great.”

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As for what DeGeneres remembers, the comedian jokes, “I mean, that’s the first thing I thought. I was like, ‘Wow, she’s fat. Let me talk to her. Let me see if she’s got a good personality.’”

The couple wed in 2008 after four years of dating.

In the special, set to air Oct. 9 at 9 a.m., DeGeneres also speaks with Mo Rocca about growing up with Christian Scientist parents and her rise to fame. Watch the preview clip below.