Ellen DeGeneres and President Barack Obama get ‘choked up’ as he praises her influence on gay rights movement

The chat show host cried as she received America’s highest civilian honour from the Mr Obama
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Emma Powell23 November 2016
The Weekender

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Ellen DeGeneres and Barack Obama got ‘choked up’ as he praised her influence on the gay rights movement at the Medal of Freedom ceremony.

DeGeneres broke down in tears as she received America’s highest civilian honour from the US President who lauded the chat show host for risking her career in order to champion gay rights.

Speaking at the White House Mr Obama said: “It's easy to forget now, when we've come so far... just how much courage was required for Ellen to come out on the most public of stages almost 20 years ago.

“What an incredible burden that was to bear - to risk your career like that – people don't do that very often. And then, to have the hopes of millions on your shoulders.”

Admitting he was getting emotional, Mr Obama joked: “It’s like Ellen says, we all want a tortilla chip that can support the weight of guacamole which really makes no sense to me but I thought it would break the mood because I was getting kind of choked up.”

He continued: “And she did pay a price for a pretty long stretch of time. And yet today every day in every way Ellen counters what too often divides us with the countless things that bind us together and inspires us to be better one joke and one dance at a time.”

DeGeneres was close to missing the ceremony after security refused to let her in the White House.

Tweeting her fans she wrote: “They haven't let me in to the White House yet because I forgot my ID.”

She later updated concerned fans by posting a Mannequin Challenge video to show that she had been allowed in.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom award is the highest civilian award of the United States.

Other honourees from the entertainment world included Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Cicely Tyson, Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross, whose hair took centre stage as she received her award.

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