Ellen DeGeneres Talks About Coming Out On 'Oprah's Master Class'

SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento) - Ellen DeGeneres appeared on "Oprah's Master Class" and talked about one of her most life changing experiences.

She shared the story of going on a retreat at California's Esalen Institute and how it helped her with the decision to come out. In 1997, during her television show "Ellen," she came out publicly to the world that she was lesbian.

She told Oprah that, "I didn't think I was going to come out, period. I didn't think I'd be coming out on a show, ever."

Although Ellen questioned her decision to come out she said, "It was scary and crazy and what came out of listening to what I had been saying to myself is, 'Would I still be famous? Would they still love me if they knew I was gay?' I just didn't want to pretend to be somebody else anymore so that people would like me."

"Oprah's Master Class" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on OWN.