DeGeneres intruder 'pleads not guilty'

The woman arrested for trespassing at the home of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanour charge in a California court.

Karen Sjoden - who was taken into custody after being spotted on the couple's property in Beverly Hills on Thursday - claimed that she had reason to seek out the stars as she had been hired as a personal investigator to follow DeGeneres, reports TMZ.

A judge told Sjoden: "You end up in someone's backyard at 3 in the morning... then you are asked to leave... and you come back later with no legit purpose whatsoever and secrete yourself.

"You are probably up to no good. It only takes one time to be a threat."