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Pulse survivor Tony Marrero shares his story with Ellen and the audience while Ellen surprises him with a visit from his idol Katy Perry.
Ellen DeGeneres is kicking off the first week of her 14th season with a lot of style and grace. Today she welcomed Tony Marrero, a survivor of the massacre at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando this past June. He shares with Ellen and the audience his story of survival and loss as he relays details of the night of the attack – that he was shot four times in the back and that his best friend Luis, who worked with him at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, did not survive. Tony tells his story in the video below.
Something that helped get Tony through his recovery from his injuries (both physical and spiritual) was Katy Perry’s song “Rise,” which she wrote for the Olympics. Tony explains to Ellen that the lyrics helped him get through that time, and jokes that he’s played it so much that his boyfriend is tired of hearing it. That’s when Ellen announces that Katy is there to meet him, and the look on his face when he realizes he’s about to meet his idol, will break your heart entirely. It’s safe to say there’s not a dry eye in the house as Tony and Katy embrace at length. And as moving as all of that is, you won’t believe what Katy offers to do for him. It’s all really touching and beautiful.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
