Ellen DeGeneres Has A New Mission Following The End Of Her Talk Show

After decades on air, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, came to a close. DeGeneres' emotional last day on set was given a heartfelt send-off from the comedian's Instagram. She wrote, "When we started this show in 2003, the iPhone didn't exist. Social Media didn't exist. Gay marriage wasn't legal." The message continued, "We watched the world change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But whatever was happening, my goal was always for the show to be a place where we could all come together and laugh for an hour."

Though there have been controversies surrounding DeGeneres, like former employees speaking out about the alleged toxic work environment on the show, she and her career on TV broke barriers (via the Los Angeles Times). Prior to her stint on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," she was the star of a sitcom called "Ellen" where she came out as a lesbian and faced a lot of backlash (via History). Living her life authentically cost her "Ellen," but eventually gave her the talk show that would make her a household name.

Now that the talk show has come to an end after 19 seasons, DeGeneres has set her eyes on a new passion project.

Ellen DeGeneres' time on daytime TV might be coming to an end following the final season of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," but the comedian doesn't seem to be taking any time off. She has set her sights on an even bigger project (via The New York Times).

DeGeneres' new project, which she's working on with her wife, Portia de Rossi, has led the comedian to Africa where she is hoping to help save Rwanda's gorilla population (via The Hollywood Reporter). The couple is working to help out the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGF) by opening a campus near the Volcanoes National Park, titled The Ellen DeGeneres Campus. The space will give students and future conservationists the opportunity to learn about the endangered species.

The campus expansion was actually a gift to DeGeneres from her wife who wanted to give her something special for her 60th birthday. Dian Fossey has been an inspirational figure in the life of the comedian since she was a child, so the present was especially impactful.

DeGeneres gushed about Fossey to the publication, "To continue her legacy and her work and add my name to hers, which is probably the coolest thing that will ever happen to me. ... This brave, amazing, trailblazing woman living on a mountain by herself with these massive, wild creatures. It became a dream to go to Rwanda and see them in person."

Now, DeGeneres is helping to fund both the campus and conservation efforts for these amazing animals.