Revealed: Celebrities who fled US after Donald Trump’s 2024 election win
Ellen DeGeneres is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to celebs who sold their US homes and left the country in protest of Donald Trump’s election win.
Donald Trump‘s historic second presidential win has triggered a surprising migration trend among some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Since Mr Trump claimed victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, multiple A-listers have quit the US and moved abroad.
According to the New York Post, celebrities like Eva Longoria and Rosie O’Donnell, have publicly decried Mr Trump’s administration and made clear that it was his policies that pushed them to find a new home outside of the US.
Others, including Ellen DeGeneres and Richard Gere, have been slower to link their relocations with his administration, despite being outspoken critics of Mr Trump in the past.
However, all of these stars have been quick to gush about their new home countries, with many opting to base themselves in Europe, where they have found new, luxurious dwellings that afford them the same lavish comforts as their mansions in Los Angeles or New York.
There may be more A-list emigrations to come, given the huge number of stars who have threatened to leave the country should Mr Trump return to the White House — including Sharon Stone and Cher; however, it’s understood that they are still residing in the US.
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Eva Longoria
Less than two weeks after the presidential election took place, Eva Longoria revealed that she had turned her back on the US.
In an interview with Marie Claire, the “Desperate Housewives” star explained that she was “done” with life in “dystopian” America.
The actress told the outlet that she and her husband, José Bastón, had “escaped” the country with their son, Santiago, six, and were living full time between their homes in Central America and Europe.
Although Longoria made the decision before Mr Trump’s election win, she said she believes the country will become a “scary place” if the President “keeps his promises.”
Longoria conceded that she is very “privileged” in her ability to move away from the country where she was born and raised — and where she launched her successful acting career.
“I’m privileged. I get to escape and go somewhere. Most Americans aren’t so lucky,” she said.
“They are going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and my sadness is for them.”
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The actress noted that the conditions in her former home state of California were largely to blame for her decision to leave the US before the election, insisting that while she doesn’t want to “s**t” on the region, she found certain aspects of it very difficult to bear.
“I had my whole adult life here. But even before [the COVID-19 pandemic], it was changing, the vibe was different. And then Covid happened, and it pushed it over the edge,” she went on.
“Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to s – t on California — it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now.”
Longoria’s official exodus from the US appears to have begun in earnest in 2023, when she put her sprawling Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $US22.88 million — later slashing the price to $US18.98 million ($A30 million) in May 2024.
The listing for the home was removed in August of that same year; however, that didn’t stop Longoria and her family from leaving the dwelling behind in favour of residing between her homes in Mexico and Madrid.
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Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi were among the first celebrities who fled the US.
The couple swapped their mansion in Montecito, California, for an $US18 million ($A28 million) farmhouse in the British countryside. It is understood they have been living there since the end of 2024.
Just weeks after the election in November 2024, news broke of the pair’s move.
TMZ reported that while the duo had purchased their UK home in June, months before Mr Trump’s win, their decision to “get the hell out” of America was cemented by his victory.
DeGeneres was an outspoken supporter of Harris during the 2024 presidential election, publicly endorsing her in a post shared on Instagram.
Soon after, it was revealed that the couple had purchased a historic farmhouse in the Cotswolds, a celebrity-loved locale that is about two hours outside of London.
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And if there had been any doubt about their desire to make the UK their permanent residence,
DeGeneres and de Rossi quickly began selling off their last remaining homes in the US, one of which was recently sold for $US5.2 million ($A8.2 million), while another remains on the market for $US29.99 million ($A47.8 million).
Still, their move has not been without its difficulties.
According to the Daily Mail, DeGeneres quickly found herself “in peril of getting on the wrong side” of a high-profile member of her new neighbourhood after she “committed a ‘technical breach’” during the build of a single-story extension at her new abode in what the outlet described as a “planning clash.”
DeGeneres and de Rossi are reported to have received several objections from their neighbours, who have spoken out against their extension plan.
Despite the protests, a spokesperson for West Oxfordshire Direct Council insisted that the Roman remains sit over 200 yards from DeGeneres and de Rossi’s property and that the work was “completed to a high standard.”
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Richard Gere
Hollywood legend and outspoken Trump critic Richard Gere made his plans to move away from the US months before the election.
The “Pretty Woman” star told Vanity Fair Spain in April 2024 that he and his wife, Alejandra, were relocating to her home country of Spain so that she could be closer to her family.
“It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and the people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy,” he told the outlet. “I’m looking forward to going there.
“For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture.
“She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers.
“I love Spain and the ability of the Spanish people to live transmitting joy and happiness.”
Soon after, the “Chicago” actor sold his Connecticut mansion for $US10.7 million ($A17 million) in an off-market deal.
Gere and his spouse eventually relocated to their new home in Madrid with their children, Albert, 11, Alexander, 5, and James, 4, shortly before Christmas.
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The Golden Globe winner told Elle España that they were “happier than ever” with their new lives in the European country.
“The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum. We are happier than ever,” he said during an interview with the outlet.
“[Alejandra is happy] because she is at home and I [am happy] because, if she is happy, I am happy.”
While the actor did not point to politics as the reason for his move, he did brand the U.S. a “dark place” while accepting an award from fellow Hollywood star Antonio Banderas in February, before going on to slam President Trump as a “bully and a thug.”
“We’re all part of a universe of overlapping pain and sadness and joy. … I see this world that we’re in now forgetting that,” he said.
“This very foolish tribalism is starting to take us over, where we think that we’re all separate from each other.
“And we have unfortunately elected officials that don’t inspire us in the way that we want to be inspired. I’m coming from a place now … we’re in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who is the president of the United States.
“But it’s not just in the U.S., it’s everywhere.”
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Courtney Love
Courtney Love announced she is permanently ditching her home country and relocating to the UK.
Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society in London, the former Hole frontwoman revealed that she’ll be getting her British citizenship in six months.
“I’m really glad I’m here. It’s so great to live here,” she said, according to the Daily Mail.
“I’m finally getting my British citizenship in six months. I get to be a citizen. I’m applying, man! Can’t get rid of me!”
The “Celebrity Skin” singer cited Mr Trump’s administration as being the reason for her move, branding his plans for the US “frightening.”
“In terms of Trump and particularly this group … it’s like emperor-core. Like, [they’re] wearing million-dollar watches,” she said.
“Emperor-core is going on at Mar-a-Lago. It’s frightening now. It’s like cyanide now.”
Even before Love moved from Los Angeles to the UK, she predicted she would “end up there.”
“I know what neighbourhood I’m going to end up in, and I know that I want to be on the Thames,” she told the Standard in 2017.
“I subscribe to this magazine called Country Life, which is just real-estate porn and fox hunting. It’s amazing.”
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Rosie O’Donnell
Rosie O’Donnell announced this month that she had quietly left the US with her 12-year-old adopted daughter, Dakota “Clay”.
The former “The View” co-host revealed in a TikTok video that she had settled down in a new home in Ireland.
The “Harriet the Spy” actress, who has long been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump, confessed that she quit the US on January 15, adding that she is in the process of applying for Irish citizenship.
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The comedian said she would consider returning to the States after Mr Trump leaves office and the country is “safe” again.
She did not mention the president by name, instead referring only to what is “happening politically” in the country.
“And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” she said.
“It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.”
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Gabriel Macht
Gabriel Macht revealed in January that he had left the US with his wife, Australian-American actress Jacinda Barrett, and their two children.
The “Suits” star refused to reveal where they are planning to settle down.
“I don’t tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps,” the actor told People magazine.
The 53-year-old added: “I got out of town and we’re exploring the world.”
After “Suits” ended in 2019, Macht took a “long break” from acting to focus on family.
“Right before Covid, we wanted to take the kids out of school and homeschool them,” the actor said.
“But then we got stuck and so we were in Manhattan. That just wasn’t doing it for us.”
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Macht and his family decided to pack up their lives and leave New York City.
“We decided to explore the world, so we left,” he continued.
“I grew up in LA and I lived in New York for many, many years. Half of my life on the East Coast, half of my life on the West Coast.”
The actor did not cite any political allegiances while discussing the move; however, he has previously spoken out against Trump during the 2016 election, voicing his support of Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, in a post shared on his X account.
Despite confessing that he had “very little interest” in acting, Macht reassured “Suits” fans that he would reprise his role in “Suits L.A.,” the upcoming spin-off of the hit show.
Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
Originally published as Revealed: Celebrities who fled US after Donald Trump’s 2024 election win
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