Portia De Rossi Gets Candid On Her Heterosexual Past
What a tangled web cheating can weave: Portia de Rossi's ex-hubby left her for her sister-in-law.
The saying goes that blood is thicker than water, and in Portia de Rossi's case, it definitely proved true. The Arrested Development alum writes in her recent memoir that she and older brother Michael Rogers became closer than ever when her then-husband cheated...with Rogers' then-wife!
Though she's now Mrs. DeGeneres, de Rossi was once married to documentary filmmaker Mel Metcalfe from 1996 to 1999 (during her Ally McBeal days). In the memoir, Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss And Gain, de Rossi talks about the shocking unexpected affair between Metcalfe and Renee Kappos, and how it catapulted her into a state of despair. Marrying Ellen DeGeneres Saved Me
She also addresses the way it went down—after newlyweds Rogers and Kappos moved into the same "Melrose Place"-esque apartment building as de Rossi and Metcalfe, signs began to emerge.
"The fact that Renee would wear skimpy, lacy underwear clearly visible underneath her oversized, gaping overalls should have indicated to my brother and me that a personal partnership was also forming," de Rossi writes.
Though de Rossi and Rogers were both left "idiotically shaking their heads in disbelief" upon learning of the betrayal, it didn't take long for Kappos and Metcalfe to escalate the situation. The two left their respective spouses to get hitched, and de Rossi and Rogers had to lean on each other for support.
"When my husband left me, my brother moved into my place," de Rossi shares. "We kept each other company and we liked to go out for margaritas and Mexican food to commiserate."
Surprisingly, de Rossi harbors no ill will toward Metcalfe today, and says her time with the filmmaker ultimately helped define her true sexuality.
"By the end of our first year together, despite my desire to be attracted to him, my latent fear of my real sexuality was simmering and about to boil," says de Rossi (via Popeater). "I was almost positive I was gay. So I married him."
Sounds like things worked out for the best—after all, everyone's favorite couple might never have merged! These Celebrity Couples Make Us Believe In Love
But we still give de Rossi credit for handling things in such a peaceful and considerate manner. Perhaps a few other celebrities could take note?