"Finding Dory" star Ellen DeGeneres has squashed rumors that a lesbian couple makes an appearance in the upcoming "Finding Nemo" sequel.
"No, there's no lesbian couple. I don't think that's the case," the talk show host said at the premiere of the film, which hits theaters June 17.
She added: "It's really amazing cuz it's two women pushing a stroller, which I didn't even notice, and one of them has short hair. Apparently, if you have short hair you're a lesbian, and I didn't know that was the rule. You should tell Robin Wright that - there's a lot of women you should tell that."
DeGeneres, 58, who voices the forgetful blue tang fish Dory, in the film, publicly came out as gay in 1997.
In the two-minute trailer for "Finding Dory", Tank the Octopus poses as a baby in a carriage. A toddler drops her sippy cup after being knocked over by the stroller. One of two women walking in front of the little girl picks up the cup and says, "Poor baby, let me get that for you." The couple that interacts with Tank in this scene are both females - one with short hair - leading many people to believe Disney may be portraying a lesbian couple on the big screen.
As earlier reported, these moments in the trailer caused the Internet to blow up with speculation, with some vowing to boycott the film and others pledging their support for the film.
However, while there is no lesbian couple in the new Disney Pixar film, DeGeneres later told reporters she believes the conversation is a "great thing."
"I think everything that we see in the media - whether it's television or film or anything you see - should represent everything that's happening in the world. I think everybody that is in the world should be seen and represented," the comedian said, according to People.
She added, "I didn't know anything about it until I heard this rumor. Then when I watched the premiere, I was looking for that particular scene, and it appears that there are two women.
"One woman has a very bad short haircut, which I find very offensive," she joked. "If that's the definition of a gay woman, then how dare you? Just because someone has a short, bad haircut doesn't mean she's gay. [She just has a] bad hairdresser. So I don't know that that's the case.
"So yes, it's a great conversation," she continued. "Whether they intended it to be a woman with a bad, short haircut being gay or not, I think it's a great thing."
Disney, along with Paramount, were named by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as two studios failing to feature a single gay or lesbian character in any of their films last year.
A social media campaign for the upcoming Frozen film has made a considerable impact, with Idina Menzel, the singer behind the film's hit song Let It Go, chiming in to support those asking Pixar to "Give Elsa a Girlfriend" to teach children that "it's okay to be gay."
The campaign was criticized by many in the Christian community, including Rev. Franklin Graham, who accused the LGBT community of attempting to influence children with a "morally bankrupt" message. "
