Ringo's girl dumped by lesbian

Francesca Gregorini is said to be devastated after Ally McBeal actress Portia de Rossi walked out on her.

Miss de Rossi has now reportedly moved in with comedienne Ellen DeGeneres at her Hollywood home. Miss DeGeneres has split from her own girlfriend of four years, photographer Alexandra Hedison.

Friends said Miss Gregorini, 36, an Italian-born singer and songwriter, had no idea her relationship with Miss de Rossi was about to come to an abrupt end.

Miss DeGeneres, who previously had a longterm relationship with actress Anne Heche, met 31-year- old Miss de Rossi nine months ago during a photoshoot.

But romance between the pair did not blossom until the beginning of this month, when they met again at the VH1 satellite music channel awards in Los Angeles.

That night, according to sources close to the couple, they hurriedly retreated to a waiting limousine where

they became intimate. The following day both parties officially split from their long-term partners.

A friend of Miss Gregorini said yesterday that she was understandably upset.

'Francesca is devastated. She had no idea that this was coming - she and Portia seemed so happy.

'But Portia and Ellen are smitten and since they've been together have been rushing head-long into things.'

Miss Gregorini is the daughter of Ringo Starr's wife Barbara Bach, one of two children from her marriage to Italian industrialist Augusto Gregorini.

Starr and his stepdaughter are said to be extremely close.

Her romance with Australian Miss de Rossi became open knowledge when the pair were photographed kissing in a Hollywood alleyway.

She and Miss de Rossi, who shared a home in Vancouver, were once said to have 'married' in a special ceremony.

At the time, Miss Gregorini said she was 'blissfully' happy, and added: 'I thought being happy would affect my songwriting. But I am truly happy and my writing hasn't been affected.

'I was a late bloomer sexually. I was a tomboy until I was 18. I had boyfriends but I never understood the whole hoopla about sex.

'Then, when I discovered girls, it was like, "Aha, now I get it!" I was 19 years old. I knew I was a lesbian.'

Miss de Rossi - who was once romantically linked to Hugh Grant, her co-star in the 1994 film Sirens - is known for her role as man- eating lawyer Nell Porter in the legal drama Ally McBeal.

Miss DeGeneres, who had been 'engaged' to her ex-girlfriend Miss Hedison, 35, famously came out of the closet on her hit sitcom Ellen in 1997.

Viewing figures for the show subsequently plummeted and within a year of the episode it was cancelled.

For Miss DeGeneres, 46, breaking up other people's relationships is becoming something of a habit.

When she met Miss Heche, the Six Days, Seven Nights actress was involved with actor Steve Martin. Miss Heche subsequently dumped him for her lesbian lover.

Agents for Miss DeGeneres and Miss de Rossi were not available for comment last night.