DeGeneres thanks Pitt for fighting Prop 8

LOS ANGELES - In September, Brad Pitt’s $100,000 donation lead the way for celebrities who donated their time and money in the hopes of defeating California’s Proposition 8. The measure eventually passed and the state’s legalization of gay marriage was overturned.

And while Pitt’s donation may not have been enough to sway the vote, it certainly endeared him to Prop. 8 opponents, including Ellen DeGeneres.

During a new interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” DeGeneres thanked the “Benjamin Button” star for his efforts in support of gay marriage.

“I want to thank you personally for contributing to Proposition 8. You donated $100,000 and I thank you for that very much for trying to do what you could,” Ellen said to Brad, who appeared via satellite from New Orleans, marking his first appearance on the show.

“Well, that was certainly an easy one for me,” Pitt said of his decision to donate. “That to me is an issue of equality. I go back to the Declaration of Independence, that we are all created equal and we’re all free for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Stephen Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw matched Brad’s donation, and celebs such as T.R. Knight, David Geffen and Pete Wentz also contributed to the cause.

“That proposition was stepping on people’s pursuit of happiness, people’s liberty and I don’t think it has any place in our definition of America,” Pitt told DeGeneres. “So I hope we figure that one out.”

“I hope so too,” DeGeneres replied.

When it comes to marriage, Pitt has long insisted he and partner Angelina Jolie would wed only when all couples have the same rights.

“Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able,” Pitt said in the October 2006 issue of Esquire.

Earlier this week, Brad spoke to the TODAY show’s Ann Curry about marriage and said his kids will also play an important role in the decision.

“If we feel it’s important to our kids, we’ll do so,” he told Curry.

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