Burglary at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's $27M Montecito home was reportedly an 'inside job'
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's $27M mansion in Montecito was burglarized on July 4. Police investigating the incident have reportedly told residents of the neighborhood that they believe that the burglary at the TV host's property was an "inside job". At the time that the breaking and entering was reported to authorities, they had claimed that the couple's home was targeted due to their "celebrity status".
In a recent statement on the matter in a newsletter published by the Montecito Association in a bid to put local resident's minds at rest, it was reported that their executive director was informed by the local sheriff that the housebreaking was an "inside job". The association has since reassured the residents that the community doesn't face any threats and they did not need to worry about any more robberies taking place.
The super exclusive and gated Santa Barbara community is home to a number of notable billionaires and public figures including Oprah Winfrey, Ariana Grande and a recent addition includes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Sun obtained a copy of the newsletter on August 12 via email and it reportedly read, "If it had been a case of outsiders coming in and breaking and entering, I'd have alerted you to be on the lookout and lock up everything." The newsletter further stated, "According to our very helpful Sheriff Lt Arnoldi, that appears to be an inside job." The outlet asked for an update on the case from the Sheriff's public information office and was told that the investigation continues on the matter.
There has been no evidence that Ellen and Portia had anything to do with the robbery which took place on a public holiday. TMZ, at the time, had reported that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office stated that they believe the house and the couple was, "targeted due to the victim’s celebrity status." There was no information made public regarding the value of the items that were stolen from the house.
However, it was believed that "high-value jewelry and watches" were stolen. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office had added at the time that they were conducting an investigation to see if the burglary at Ellen and Portia's home was connected to the other recently reported home break-ins.
The 8,188-square-foot Balinese-style home was purchased by the TV show host in 2019 for an astonishing $27 million. News of the burglary at the home came at a time when she is embroiled in the ongoing drama surrounding reports of the toxic work environment on the sets of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'. Giving an update to PageSix about how her wife is holding up, Portia said Ellen is "doing great" despite the situation she's found herself in.
Producers of the show have been accused of creating a "toxic work environment" by several former employees. There have also been claims of sexual misconduct being placed against two of the show's top executives. Ellen too has been accused of treating people "horribly" by celebrities that have appeared on the show, including Brad Garrett that appeared on the chat show six times between 2004 and 2007.
YouTuber Nikkie Tutorials, real name Nikkie de Jager, appeared on the show this year after coming out as transgender. In an interview, she suggested that even though it was "an honor" to share the stage with Ellen, "it wasn't as nice as I thought," she said.