J.C. Penney won't fire Ellen DeGeneres

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Ellen DeGeneres received a vote of confidence from J.C. Penney Friday when the retail giant said it would be keeping the lesbian comic as their ad spokeswoman.

Penney issued a statement saying the company "stands behind its partnership with Ellen DeGeneres" despite a recent pressure campaign from a group called One Million Moms that has demanded DeGeneres be let go, the Los Angeles Times said.

The gay-rights group GLAAD issued its own statement congratulating Penney for its decision.

"This week Americans spoke out in overwhelming support of LGBT people and J.C. Penney's decision not to fire Ellen simply for who she happens to love," it said.