Warren Beatty didn't know Ellen DeGeneres was gay

8 November 2016

Warren Beatty didn't know Ellen DeGeneres was gay when they first met.

Ellen DeGeneres

The 79-year-old actor's first encounter with the 58-year-old talk show host was when she appeared on US Sitcom 'The Larry Sanders Show' with stand-up comedian Garry Shandling in 1996, and during his appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' on Monday (07.11.16), the Hollywood legend revealed he was none the wiser to the fact the blonde beauty batted for the other side.

Recalling the episode, Ellen said: "I think you didn't know I was gay at the time ... No, you did."

And Warren added: "I didn't. I had no idea. I knew you were happy. I didn't know you were gay."

Ellen came out as gay shortly after the episode aired and recently admitted she hit "rock bottom" after she was made fun of for coming out.

The comedienne - who is married to actress Portia de Rossi - was the "punch line of a lot of cruel jokes" when she but is more positive about life now.

She said: "I was the punch line of lots of jokes. I laughed at some, but I realised there's somebody on the other side of them. It's cruel. I've never liked mean comedy, but that became even more important to me after I was the brunt of it.

"If this isn't an example of 'it gets better,' I don't know what is. Time is a strange thing. I was at rock bottom and out of money, with no work in sight, but one step at a time, it gets better. It gets much better than better."

Meanwhile, Warren recently said his transgender son is his "hero".

The 'Rules Don't Apply' star - who has children Stephen, 24, Benjamin, 22, Isabel, 19, and Ella, 16, with his wife Annette Bening - has admitted he is very proud of his oldest child, who was born Kathlyn but transitioned at 14-years-old, and believes Stephen is a "revolutionary" because of his decision to change gender.

Speaking about his brood, he said: "He's a genius, and my hero, as are all my children."