After Divorced, Portia de Rossi Finally SPEAKS UP on Ellen DeGeneres Before she was Portia de Rossi, she was Amanda Lee Rogers a little girl growing up in the suburban calm of Geelong, Victoria. Life wasn’t always bright: at just nine years old, she lost her father, Barry Rogers. Imagine that moment one day, you’re a carefree child; the next, you’re facing a loss no kid should have to endure. Her mother, Margaret, became the anchor of the household, juggling work as a medical receptionist while grappling with her own grief. Meanwhile, Amanda still so young tried to make sense of a world turned upside down. During her teenage years, she did some modeling for print ads and TV commercials. Yet even in front of the camera, she felt like an outsider looking in. As she navigates public events carefully chosen and sparing Portia carries herself with a new kind of grace. The heartbreak has softened into resolve. The frantic pace of being a Hollywood power couple has been replaced by measured, intentional living. It’s not the ending anyone predicted, but it might just be the new beginning she has long sought—a chance to reclaim her voice, healing on her own terms.