As we previously reported, it’s been 20 years since Ellen DeGeneres made history when her character came out on her 1990s sitcom in an episode called “The Puppy Episode.”

Stars like Oprah Winfrey and Laura Dern guest starred on that episode and, because they’re such awesome peeps, they both returned to Ellen’s show to reflect on the making of the historic episode.

“It was called ‘The Puppy Episode’ because we wanted to keep it a secret until it aired and because ‘Ellen Throws Her Career Away’ seemed too on the nose,” Ellen joked to her audience. “Actually, the real reason we called it ‘The Puppy Episode’ is ’cause when the writers told the executives that they wanted me to come out because my character needed to be in a relationship after four years of not being in a relationship, someone at the studio said, ‘Well, get her a puppy. She’s not coming out.’ And so, we called it ‘The Puppy Episode.’”

She added: “It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do in my life and I would not change one moment of it because it led me to be exactly where I am today – standing in front of all of you, which is a joy. And the fact that all of you and everyone at home is watching me and willing to accept me into your homes every day when no one thought that would ever happen again, it means the world to me.”

Oprah said she received tremendous backlash because of her involvement in the episode, in which she played a therapist. People said to “go back to Africa,” called her the N-word, among other gross things.

“It was so bad,” Oprah said. “The next day after the show, I flew back to Chicago and the next day … we had to put another person on the switchboard. I remember something like 900-and-something calls; they couldn’t keep up.”

As for Laura: “I have to say, just watching the clip, it made me so emotional because of all the things I feel privileged to experience in my life as a human but also as an actor, there’s no greater gift than being the person that was with you and looking in your eyes as you said those words [‘I am gay’]. And when we did rehearse, you even whispered to me at once, ‘Maybe I’m not gonna say it because I haven’t said that out loud.’”

She continued: “And watching you have this catharsis or ritual and the audience support and a sort of holding, literal holding, I remember we were kind of holding each other up through this very emotional moment. It was so profound and I feel so blessed that I got to be there and witness that.”