Vance DeGeneres: Who Is The Brother Of Ellen DeGeneres?

Vance DeGeneres is an American actor, comedian, musician, film producer, and screenwriter. He is also the brother of Ellen DeGeneres. Vance’s sister Ellen is a very popular and successful comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She is known for the television variety comedy talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which she created and hosted.

Vance DeGeneres: Bio Summary

Vance Is Ellen DeGeneres’ Older Brother

Vance DeGeneres was born Vance Elliott DeGeneres on the 2nd of September, 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. He will be celebrating his 69th birthday on September 2, 2023. He is the older brother of Ellen Lee DeGeneres (b. January 26, 1958). Ellen is a comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She is a beloved personality and has won the heart of many.

Ellen DeGeneres has served as a host of the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys. She has authored four books. She has her own record company, Eleveneleven, and a production company, A Very Good Production. She launched a lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, ‘which comprises a collection of apparel, accessories, home, baby, and pet items.’

Vance DeGeneres and his younger sister Ellen DeGeneres are children of Betty Jane DeGeneres (née Pfeffer) and Elliott Everett DeGeneres (1925–2018). Betty is an American LGBT rights activist, speech therapist, and author while Elliott was an insurance agent. Vance is of French, English, German, and Irish descent.

Vance Stayed With His Father After His Parents’ Divorce

Vance DeGeneres stayed with his father after his family moved to Texas. His parents Betty DeGeneres and Elliott DeGeneres were married from 1952 until they divorced in 1974. After the divorce, Betty married Roy Gruessendorf. Vance’s mother Betty and his sister Ellen DeGeneres moved with his stepfather Roy Gruessendorf from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Texas but Vance stayed with his father.

Betty DeGeneres was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her second marriage. Eventually, Betty and Roy Gruessendorf’s marriage ended in the early 1990s. Roy Gruessendorf died in 1997.

Also Read: Who Is Betty DeGeneres?: Everything About Ellen DeGeneres’ Mother

Vance’s Sister Ellen Was Molestation By Her Stepfather

Vance DeGeneres’ sister, Ellen DeGeneres was molestation by her stepfather when she was a teenager. In 2005, Ellen came out to publicly speak for the first time about the molestation she had suffered from her stepfather, Roy Gruessendorf. Roy used her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis as an excuse to touch Ellen inappropriately.

Roy Gruessendorf claimed he needed to examine Ellen’s breasts for lumps. It got to a time when Roy attempted to break down Ellen’s door and sexually assault her. Ellen had no other choice than to run away from home and spend the night in a hospital. Ellen reported her stepfather to her mother Betty who did not believe her. Betty stayed married to Roy before finding out about the truth.

Vance Works In The Entertainment Industry

Vance DeGeneres is working in the entertainment industry as an actor, comedian, musician, film producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his work in television and movies. Before he began his career in the entertainment world, he reached the rank of corporal in his two-year period in the Marine Corps. He then became the host of New Wave New Orleans, a radio program broadcast on WQUE-FM, in the late 1970s.

Vance DeGeneres played bass guitar and wrote songs in the band The Cold, a new-wave band founded in New Orleans in the late 1970s. The Cold happened to be inaugurated into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2018. Vance was the original “Mr. Hands” of “The Mr. Bill Show.” He became a staff writer on Eerie, Indiana, on NBC and later co-created, alongside Karl Schaefer, a pilot script for ABC called Lost Angels, he wrote an episode for Diagnosis Murder.

Vance DeGeneres wrote and produced 9 Line. He co-created and co-hosted Movies Schmoovies, a movie review pilot with Emily Cutler (1995). He has served as a writer on The Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards, and The Grammy Awards. He is the co-founder of the rock band House of Schock with The Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock on Capitol Records. He was a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (1999 to 2001).

Vance DeGeneres was co-president of Carousel Productions at Warner Bros. for six years, Steve Carell’s production company, developing comedy movies, including Crazy Stupid Love and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. He was an executive producer on both films. He has a television development deal at Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros. He was an executive producer on Ellen’s Game of Games, which aired on NBC in 2020.

Also Read: Elliott DeGeneres: What Happened To Ellen DeGeneres’ Father?

Vance DeGeneres and Rick Springfield created the online series, Rick Springfield & Vance DeGeneres Present the Miniseries: the 60 Second Guide to Songwriting with a Partner, at the time of the coronavirus pandemic (2020). The comedic series resulted in two songs: “The Wall Will Fall” and “Welcome to Your Bright New World”, with proceeds benefitting Feeding America. He produced The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Crazy, Stupid, Love., Inside Comedy, among others.

Vance Has Been Married Two Times

Vance DeGeneres has walked down the aisle twice. He married Mimi DeGeneres in 1990 but their marriage ended in 1991. The reason for their separation hasn’t been disclosed. Vance got married for the second time. This time, he married Joanna DeGeneres. They got married in 2013 in a small ceremony at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The guests at the wedding include Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, and actor Steve Carell.