Ellen DeGeneres confirms she moved to the UK because of Trump re-election
"'He got in,’" And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here’"
By Aaron Sugg
Ellen DeGeneres has made her first public appearance since moving across the pond to the UK, confirming that she and wife Portia de Rossi decided to move the day after Donald Trump was re-elected president.
Speaking at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the former US talk show host said they had initially planned to split their time between the US and the UK, but made the move permanent after the 2024 election.
“‘He got in.’ And we’re like: ‘We’re staying here’”
As reported by BBC News, DeGeneres said to the audience: “We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like: ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
The couple now live in the Cotswolds, where they have shared clips of rural life on social media, including farm animals and snow, which DeGeneres said she had never seen before.
The 67-year-old also addressed growing concerns in the US over LGBTQ+ rights, referencing efforts to roll back same-sex marriage protections in multiple states and by the Southern Baptist Convention.
“We’re going to get married here”
“The Baptist Church in America is trying to reverse gay marriage,” she said. “Portia and I are already looking into it, and if they do that, we’re going to get married here.”
She has also been vocal on social media about the termination of the national LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotline which the Trump Administration closed last week.
“What kind of person would do this?” she wrote on Instagram.
Furthermore, DeGeneres publicly showed support for fellow comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who, like her, has relocated to the UK. She posted a screenshot to Instagram of O’Donnell’s most recent clash with the US president, captioning it: “Good for you @rosie.”
At the theatre, DeGeneres also reflected on the toxic workplace allegations that led to the cancellation of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022. She acknowledged being “blunt,” but denied the portrayal of her as mean.
“It’s as simple as, I’m a direct person, and I’m very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that… I’m mean?”
DeGeneres concluded by saying she does not know what her next professional step will be, but is enjoying life in the UK while considering future projects.