Ellen had been actively pursuing men in seasons 1 and 2. She had many dates, and more boyfriends than the average 32-year-old female. She also spent quite a bit of time dodging men who find her irresistible, but she was portrayed as a "man-eater" in doing so. She's also very much into Dan, her pizza-man boyfriend, as well as a few other male dates (like the one she met at the museum, whom she turned on to pop culture, and her childhood "weird guy" date, whom she really wanted to date again), and she has recurring "naughty" dreams about both Adam and her male therapist. Then suddenly, in her "coming out" episode in season 4, viewers are supposed to pretend that none of this ever happened. At best, she (her character of Ellen Inez Morgan) should have come out as "bi", because clearly she was into both men and--later--women.
However, it is a common feature of members of the LGBTQIA+ community to pursue heteronormative relationships prior to coming out. Reasons can be complex, and include an effort to "seem normal" to society, or because realization can take a while.
