DeGeneres’ career didn’t recover right away, but given where she is today and what her decision to come out meant for the landscape of American broadcast television, I’d say that she made the right call.
Ellen Morgan’s coming out on Ellen back in 1997 marked a first for a leading character in a primetime TV series, and it’s clear from the ellentube video that Ellen DeGeneres didn’t have the easiest time with coming out on national television.
It also caused a great deal of controversy, and Ellen was cancelled after only one more season.
As she said, it was a time before we had Will & Grace and Modern Family, and it was a remarkably brave move on her part.