In a candid and highly anticipated public appearance, Ellen DeGeneres, the renowned comedian and former talk show host, has definitively confirmed that President Donald Trump’s re-election was the pivotal factor in her decision to permanently relocate to the United Kingdom. Her revelation, made during a live conversation in the English town of Cheltenham, solidifies swirling rumors and highlights a growing trend of American public figures seeking residence abroad due to political disillusionment.
Speaking with English broadcaster Richard Bacon at Cheltenham’s Everyman theatre on Sunday, DeGeneres, 67, was directly asked if reports of Trump influencing her move were accurate. Her unequivocal “Yes,” echoed by her wife Portia de Rossi, 52, sent a clear message to the audience.
“We got here the day before the election,” DeGeneres recalled, referring to their arrival in November 2024. “And woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.'”
This marks the first official confirmation from DeGeneres regarding the political motivation behind her move, which saw her and de Rossi settle in the idyllic Cotswolds region of England. While speculation has been rife since last November when the couple sold their California estate for a reported $96 million and purchased a UK property, DeGeneres had previously remained tight-lipped about the direct cause.
The comedian initially envisioned a part-time arrangement, spending only three or four months a year in their newly acquired English home. However, the outcome of the U.S. presidential election seemingly cemented their decision to make the UK their full-time residence.
DeGeneres, who ended her long-running talk show in 2022 amidst allegations of a toxic workplace, also raved about her new life across the pond. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she told Bacon, expressing her appreciation for the charming villages, historic architecture, and a “simpler way of life” that she and de Rossi are “just not used to seeing.” She added, “Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.” DeGeneres also revealed that de Rossi had flown her horses to their new home, and they are now enjoying a rural life with chickens and even a brief stint with sheep.
The move by DeGeneres aligns with a broader sentiment expressed by some American celebrities and public figures who have vocalized their intent to leave the U.S. or have already done so following recent political shifts. Comedian Rosie O’Donnell, for instance, relocated to Dublin in January, also citing the current Trump administration as a factor.
DeGeneres’s past political engagement, particularly her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, makes her decision resonate with many who share her concerns about the current political climate in the U.S. Her candidness in Cheltenham underscores the deep personal impact that political outcomes can have on individuals, even those with significant public platforms. For Ellen DeGeneres, the charming English countryside now represents not just a new chapter, but a refuge from a political reality she could no longer abide.