Portia won’t be interviewed by male journalists
Portia DeGeneres has been accused of discrimination after refusing to be interviewed by male journalists.
The actress is currently promoting her memoir Unbearable Lightness but has only agreed to be interviewed by women.
She turned down an interview with David Koch, the host of Australian morning show Sunrise and asked to speak to his co-host Melissa Doyle via satellite link.
Koch told the Sydney Morning Herald: “If a male said I don’t want to be interviewed by a woman, there would be a massive outcry of discrimination.
“Obviously she has got issues and I feel quite sorry for her… I admire what she and Ellen have done for community tolerance and inclusiveness.
“But it is a real contradiction for what she stands for, which really surprises me. Maybe she is uncomfortable with men, but she plays opposite male leads.”
DeGeneres, who recently changed her surname from De Rossi, also refused to speak to Fox FM presenters Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, who arranged for her to speak to a female journalist instead.
A Channel Seven spokeswoman said Sunrise producers had been told her stance was “not just for Australia, it’s for around the world”.
