Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi recently garnered mass media attention when they relocated to the Cotswolds. At one of their first public appearances back in July, they called out in glee, “Everything here is just better!” The pair relocated to the United Kingdom long before Donald Trump secured the U.S. presidency. Those moves were a significant life change for them since they were trying to be away from the political environment that they had been living in the United States.
Echo Chamber DeGeneres and de Rossi timed their relocation a year ago to coincide with the UK’s political climate shifting into a dangerous, reactionary new phase. In March 2016, Ellen DeGeneres announced she would emigrate from the U.S. if Trump was elected president. For her part, she responded emphatically, “I don’t say things I don’t mean! That’s how it is.” This sentiment rang true amongst a slew of stars who echoed the same message throughout the nasty 2016 election cycle.
The pair originally promised to remain on the “aerologically saner side of the Atlantic.” This decision demonstrated without equivocation that they were indeed not just kicking the can down the road. According to lately released reports, they are starting to experience the pangs of homesickness. As reported by the Mail on Sunday, DeGeneres and de Rossi are still feeling the loss of their friends stateside. In short, they’re terrified about having to contend with another gloomy British winter.
The difficulties of adapting to life in a new country were not just unique to DeGeneres and de Rossi. They’re hardly the first celebrities to scare headlines with news of moving away from the United States because of troublesome politics. Miley Cyrus, who previously vowed to leave if Trump won, later clarified that her initial comments were not taken seriously. Similarly, Rosie O’Donnell relocated her family to Ireland, motivated by concerns for her non-binary child, stating, “When you know it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
Amy Schumer mouthed off about relocating to Spain if Trump won the election. Later, she walked that back, saying her initial comments were meant purely as a joke. Famed diva and activist Barbra Streisand has threatened to leave in advance of both the 2016 and 2024 elections. She hasn’t taken any concrete steps so far. Courtney Love has been based in London since 2019. Earlier this year, after several years of living there, Wong announced her intent to apply for British citizenship.
Museum and academic scholars have further echoed these feelings about their careers and futures here in the U.S. Three Yale professors recently released a video op-ed for the New York Times titled, “We Study Fascism, and We’re Leaving the US,” detailing their decision to relocate to Canada. A poll published in the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are contemplating leaving due to mounting political tensions.
International students do not appear to be missing out on the action. The Economist’s reports of a crashing interest in studying in the U.S. This trend reflects an increasing bipartisan, public, and law enforcement concern. Second, they are concerned about the impact of today’s political climate on their work and in their lives.
DeGeneres and de Rossi, for their part, seem to be fully enjoying their new life in the Cotswolds. Their story is part of a growing phenomenon of Americans fleeing political violence. With their newfound home offering a reprieve from the complexities of U.S. politics, they may find it increasingly difficult to return as they weigh their emotional ties against practical considerations.