When President Trump moved back into the White House on January 20, it triggered a somewhat surprising migration trend among some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who promptly packed their bags and relocated abroad, with many citing their upset over his election win as the reason for their sudden desire to live elsewhere. Since Trump claimed victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, multiple A-listers have quit the U.S. and moved elsewhere. Some, like Eva Longoria and Rosie O’Donnell, have publicly decried Trump’s administration and made clear that it was his policies that pushed them to find a new home outside of the U.S. Others, including Ellen DeGeneres and Richard Gere, have been slower to link their relocations with his administration, despite being outspoken critics of 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. Of course, there may well be more A-list emigrations to come, given the huge number of stars who have threatened to leave the country should Trump return to the White House—including Sharon Stone and Cher; however, it’s understood that they are still residing primarily in the U.S.
Less than two weeks after the presidential election took place, Texas-born actress Eva Longoria revealed that she had turned her back on the U.S., explaining in an interview with Marie Claire that she was “done” with life in “dystopian” America. The former “Desperate Housewives” star told the outlet that she and her husband, José Bastón, had “escaped” the country with their son, Santiago, 6, and were living full time between their homes in Central America and Europe. Although the “Desperate Housewives” star says she made the decision before 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.” The actress noted that the conditions in her former home state of California were largely to blame for her decision to leave the U.S. “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 U.S. appears to have begun in earnest in 2023, when she put her sprawling Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $22.88 million—later slashing the price to $18.98 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 favor of residing between her homes in Mexico and Madrid.
Among the first to have fled the U.S. were Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, who swapped their mansion in Montecito, CA, for an $18 million farmhouse in the British countryside, where they are understood to have been living since the end of 2024. When news of their move was made public just weeks after the election in November 2024, TMZ reported that, while the couple had purchased their U.K. home in June, months before 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 back in August. 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. And if there had been any doubt about their desire to make the U.K. their permanent residence, DeGeneres and de Rossi—who have made a lucrative career out of real estate investment—quickly began selling off their last remaining homes in the U.S., one of which was recently sold for $5.2 million, while another remains on the market for $29.99 million.
Still, their move has not been without its difficulties. DeGeneres quickly found herself “in peril of getting on the wrong side” of a high-profile member of her new neighborhood 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 neighbors, who have spoken out against their extension plan. Despite the protests, a spokesperson for the 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.”
Hollywood legend and outspoken Trump critic Richard Gere made his plans to move away from the U.S. months before the election, telling 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.”
Shortly before Christmas 2024, he and his spouse relocated to their new home in Madrid with their children, Albert, 11, Alexander, 5, and James, 4, later telling 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,” Gere 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.
Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain’s widow, announced her decision to permanently ditch her home country in favor of relocating to the U.K. during an appearance in London this month, telling spectators at a talk at the Royal Geographical Society that she is planning to apply for British citizenship, while branding President Trump’s plans for the U.S. “frightening.” “It’s so great to live here,” she said of her move to the U.K., 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 singer, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, 78, for years, initially moved to the U.K. from Los Angeles back in 2019—but says she now plans to make London her permanent home.
Rosie O’Donnell announced in March that she had quietly left the U.S. with her youngest adopted child, Dakota “Clay” O’Donnell, 12, revealing in a video posted on her TikTok account that they had settled down in a new home in Ireland. The “Harriet the Spy” actress, who has long been an outspoken critic of Trump, confessed that she quit the U.S. on January 15, adding that she is in the process of applying for Irish citizenship. “I’m here in Ireland, and it’s beautiful and warm—not physically, it’s actually quite cold,” she said. “I moved here on January 15 [and] it’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I’m very grateful.”
O’Donnell also said she would consider returning to the States after 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.”
Gabriel Macht, Meghan Markle’s former “Suits” co-star, revealed in January that he had left the U.S. with his wife, Australian-American actress Jacinda Barrett, and their two children—but interestingly refused to reveal where they are planning to settle down. Macht, 53, explained that the relocation had actually been years in the making. He shared that the couple had wanted to take their kids out of school and begin homeschooling them in 2020 but were scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We decided to explore the world, so we left. I am based somewhere in Europe, but I don’t tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps,” he said. “I got out of town, and we’re exploring the world.”
According to Macht, he is “based somewhere in Europe,” but did not specify further. The actor has previously spoken out against Trump during the 2016 election, voicing his support of Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.
As Hollywood grapples with the shifting political landscape of the U.S., it remains to be seen how many more celebrities will follow in the footsteps of these high-profile figures leaving for what they deem more hospitable shores.
