For nearly two decades, Ellen DeGeneres was the undisputed queen of daytime television, a fixture of the Los Angeles landscape who danced her way into millions of living rooms every afternoon. However, the sunny California backdrop that defined her career has been replaced by the mist-covered hills and ancient stone architecture of the English Cotswolds. The move, which began as a whisper in late 2024, has solidified into a permanent lifestyle change for DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, marking one of the most significant celebrity relocations in recent memory.
The transition from the manicured estates of Montecito to the rugged charm of southwestern England represents more than just a change of scenery; it is a fundamental shift in how the couple navigates their third decade together. In December 2024, as they celebrated 20 years of partnership, DeGeneres expressed her gratitude for de Rossi, describing her as a "beautiful soul" and a vital partner for navigating a "crazy life." Their move to the United Kingdom was framed as the beginning of a new chapter of global exploration, punctuated by the simple joy of their first snowy Christmas together.
While the move came as a surprise to many fans, it followed a period of professional turbulence for DeGeneres. Following the conclusion of her eponymous talk show in 2022, which was marred by allegations of a toxic work environment and a departure from her "be kind" brand, DeGeneres sought a clean break. Her final stand-up special, For Your Approval, filmed in August 2024, served as a self-aware post-mortem of her career. On stage, she tackled the headlines head-on, acknowledging the irony of her public persona and the difficulty of maintaining a one-dimensional "character" for the public. She joked about the physical toll of dancing up steps and the pressure of being a paragon of kindness, eventually telling audiences that the special would be the last time they would see her.
By the time the special aired, DeGeneres and de Rossi were already deep into their British immersion. True to their reputation as prolific house-flippers, the couple didn’t just find a home; they engaged with the high-end real estate market of the U.K. with the same vigor they once applied to Southern California. After renovating a farmhouse in the Cotswolds, they listed it for a staggering $30 million in the summer of 2024. They subsequently settled into a more modern estate known as Kitesbridge Farm in Oxfordshire. This move further north into the heart of England suggests a commitment to the region’s "simpler way of life," a phrase DeGeneres used when describing her new surroundings to interviewer Richard Bacon in mid-2025.
The couple’s daily life now mirrors that of the local gentry. They have been spotted frequently in the village of Burford, often seen wearing traditional waxed coats and wellington boots—the unofficial uniform of the British countryside. Their integration into the local scene was perhaps best highlighted by their visit to The Farmer’s Dog, a pub owned by former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson. Far from being treated as untouchable Hollywood royalty, the couple blended in with other patrons, including singer Natalie Imbruglia and James Blunt, to enjoy acoustic sets. Clarkson himself noted that despite the "canceled" narrative surrounding DeGeneres in the States, his staff found her to be "very friendly and lovely."
For de Rossi, the move aligns with her own career evolution. Having stepped away from acting after her stint on Scandal, she has focused her energy on General Public, an innovative art curation and reproduction company. De Rossi has spoken openly about wanting a challenge that felt "really challenging and different" from the predictable path of a veteran actress. Her business, which can be managed from anywhere with a stable internet connection, thrives alongside her passion for equestrianism. She even had her horses flown over to the U.K. to join the couple’s growing menagerie, which has included chickens and, briefly, a flock of sheep.
DeGeneres and de Rossi are far from the only A-listers to decide that the "Hollywood state of mind" is no longer for them. They are part of a growing "Great Hollywood Exodus," where stars are trading the pressures of Tinseltown for international locales that offer more privacy, lower taxes, or a better environment for raising children.
Eva Longoria, a staple of the Los Angeles scene for her entire adult life, revealed in late 2024 that she and her family—husband José Bastón and son Santiago—now split their time between Mexico and Spain. While she clarified that her move was primarily driven by work projects like Land of Women, she admitted that the changing "vibe" of California, including issues like homelessness and taxes, made her feel that her chapter in the state was finished. Similarly, Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, relocated to Madrid to be closer to Silva’s Spanish roots and to allow their bilingual sons to flourish in a different cultural environment. Gere noted that the family is "happier than ever" since the move.
The motivations for leaving are as varied as the destinations. For Tyra Banks, the move to Australia was a business-driven decision fueled by her ice cream brand, SMiZE and Dream. Falling in love with the country during production trips, she moved there with her son and boyfriend, citing Australia’s high ice cream consumption as a perfect market fit. Lindsay Lohan, meanwhile, sought the relative anonymity of Dubai and London years ago to escape the paparazzi frenzy of the early 2000s. While she still works in film, she has found a peaceful domestic life with her husband, Bader Shammas, and their son, Luai, far from the Sunset Strip.
For some, the move is a rejection of the industry’s "one-note" nature. Josh Hartnett, who now lives in the Hampshire countryside with his wife Tamsin Egerton and their four children, has been vocal about his desire to be around people who don’t just talk about the movie business. He described the quiet life as the "spice of life," where more "important stuff" happens despite the slower pace. Jesse Eisenberg echoed this sentiment, living "on-and-off" in Indiana for a decade to avoid an industry he views as "unstable."
The exodus also includes stars who have walked away from acting entirely to pursue radically different callings. Eliza Dushku Palandjian transitioned from the screen to the classroom, becoming a certified professional in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Bridgit Mendler, once a Disney Channel favorite, is now the CEO of a space startup after earning a PhD from MIT and attending Harvard Law School. Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed have traded red carpets for regenerative farming, with Somerhalder dedicating his life to soil health and climate change activism.
Even those who haven’t left the U.S. have found ways to "retire" from the grind. Jennette McCurdy famously detailed her resentment toward her acting career in her memoir, finding fulfillment instead in writing and directing. Cameron Diaz took a decade-long hiatus to focus on wellness and her family before being coaxed back for a single Netflix project.
For Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, the move to England represents the ultimate "house flip"—remodeling their entire lives from the ground up. In the architecture of the Cotswolds and the politeness of the British village, they seem to have found the "kindness" that became so complicated in the glare of the Hollywood lights. As DeGeneres told her Cheltenham audience, the beauty and simplicity of her new home are things she is still getting used to, but they are clearly things she intends to keep. Whether it is the lack of paparazzi or the novelty of a snowy Christmas, the "be kind" girl has found a place where she can simply be herself, wellies and all.
