The Surprising Celebrity Helping Ellen DeGeneres Make Her Hollywood Comeback: ‘a Valuable Ally’ (Exclusive)

Ellen DeGeneres still has a friend in Hollywood.

According to a source, Lauren Graham is pulling out all the stops she can think of to help her old pal and mentor get back on top.

“Ellen bought the rights to one of Lauren’s books [Someday, Someday, Maybe] years ago and they still have a ton of mutual respect between each other,” the source tells Star, adding that “long-term loyalists” like the Gilmore Girls alum, 58, “are going to be very important to her Hollywood future, if she has one.”

“Lauren has a great reputation as a kind and generous costar and coworker after her decades in the business,” notes the source, “and that makes her a valuable ally as Ellen continues to make noise about returning to the industry after almost five years away.”

As Star previously reported, DeGeneres, 68, wants to rebuild her TV empire after ending her self-titled talk show in 2022 following a toxic workplace scandal.

“Unlike Ellen … Lauren is still very involved and connected in the television business, and she always keeps her finger on the pulse of Hollywood,” says the source. “She talks to everybody, and she is an Ellen defender. She isn’t shy about saying how much she likes and respects Ellen, and she means it.”

But will others join Graham in welcoming DeGeneres back to TV?

“We’ll see who is ultimately willing to publicly associate themselves with Ellen [if] and when she finally makes her comeback,” the source concedes. “But it’s a good bet that Lauren will be one of the people willing to step up and do something with her.”