Ellen DeGeneres has revealed that former President Donald Trump’s re-election was the turning point that led her to permanently relocate to the United Kingdom.
The 67-year-old comedian and former talk show host confirmed during a public appearance in Cheltenham, England, on Sunday, July 20, that she and her wife Portia de Rossi decided to stay in the U.K. full-time following Trump’s 2024 victory.
Speaking with broadcaster Richard Bacon at the Everyman Theatre, DeGeneres said, “Yes,” when asked if the move was politically motivated. “We got here the day before the election,” she recalled, “and woke up to a bunch of texts from friends with crying emojis. I knew then—he got in. And we said, ‘We’re staying here.’”
DeGeneres and de Rossi, 52, had initially planned to spend only a few months each year at what was supposed to be their part-time home in England’s scenic Cotswolds region. But following the election, they chose to make it their primary residence.
Since settling in last November, the couple has fully embraced life in the English countryside. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” DeGeneres said. “We’re just not used to this kind of charm. The villages, the architecture — it’s a simpler way of life.”
She also shared how different the lifestyle feels from her former home in California. “We love it here. Portia brought her horses, I have chickens, and for a short time, we even had sheep. I saw snow for the first time in my life.”
What sealed the decision, she added, wasn’t just the scenery. “Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, how polite people are. It’s just… better.”
According to sources, DeGeneres and de Rossi sold their California estate for $96 million last August, and she was seen house-hunting in England that October before purchasing their new countryside property.
The couple has since shared glimpses of their new life on social media, but this was DeGeneres’ first public confirmation that Trump’s return to office directly influenced their decision to leave the U.S.
Rumors about her move had circulated for months — even prompting a surprised reaction from fellow comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who relocated to Dublin in January. O’Donnell, long outspoken about Trump, said in April, “I’ve never really known Ellen to say anything political, so I was shocked when I read she left because of him.”
DeGeneres’ remarks now make clear: for her and de Rossi, the move wasn’t just about scenery — it was about starting over.
