“It’s Frightening Now”: Celebrities Moving Abroad Amid Donald Trump 2.0

“Good riddance!” That was all White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers told Business Insider in response to reports that celebrities are moving abroad after Donald Trump’s reelection. This week, musician Courtney Love became the latest star to ditch America on a more permanent basis amid Trump’s second term, joining other performers who have shared their disillusionment with the administration.

During a recent appearance at the Royal Geographical Society in London, Love revealed that she is becoming a British citizen, telling the crowd, “Can’t get rid of me!” According to The Daily Mail, Love, who moved to the U.K. from L.A. in 2019, said at the event: “In terms of Trump, and particularly this group… it’s like emperor-core—like, [they’re] wearing million-dollar watches. Emperor-core is going on at Mar-a-Lago. It’s frightening now. It’s like cyanide now.”

The slow celebrity exodus coincides with increased search interest around departing the U.S. since last November. Below, here are some of the stars who have relocated amid Trump 2.0.

Rosie O’Donnell

In mid-March, the American actor and comedian revealed on TikTok that she moved to Ireland, and had no set plans to return to her homeland. “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” O’Donnell said. “It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.”

O’Donnell went on to share that she had relocated in mid-January with her youngest child, 12-year-old Dakota, whose nickname is Clay. “Although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child,” said the mother of five, whose four older children are now adults. “I’m happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home. I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country.”

O’Donnell added that she is in the process of being granted Irish citizenship, which she is eligible for because her grandparents hail from the country. “Protect your sanity, is all I can say,” she concluded her nine-minute video. “Protect your sanity as much as you can, and try not to swim in the chaos if possible. But I know it’s nearly impossible when you’re there in the middle of it.”

Ellen DeGeneres

DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi reportedly fled the UK after Trump won reelection, trading their Montecito house for a dwelling in the Cotswalds, a quaint region two hours from London. Sources told TMZ that while the couple had purchased their new home prior to Trump’s second electoral victory, they were “very disillusioned” when he won and wanted “to get the hell out.” DeGeneres, who shared her support of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election via Instagram, had also experienced a major fall from grace in the final years of her daytime talk show—one she addressed in her Netflix comedy special last year.

Eva Longoria

Last November, Longoria told Marie Claire that she was “privileged” enough to have her family split their time between Spain and Mexico. “I get to escape and go somewhere,” she continued. “Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and sadness is for them.”

Days later, Longoria clarified her remarks in a phone call with Ana Navarro on The View’s podcast, explaining that she did not relocate directly because of Trump’s reelection. “Will you please let them know I didn’t move out of the United States because of Trump?” said Longoria. “I’ve been in Europe for almost three years…. I didn’t leave because of the political environment. I left because my work took me there.”

Richard Gere

Gere’s move to Spain last November with his Spanish wife, Alejandra Silva, and their children, was also not directly motivated by politics. The couple sold their $10.8 million Connecticut home so that Silva could be closer to her family. “For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends, and her culture,” Gere told Vanity Fair España at the time. “She was very generous in giving me six years of living in my world, so it’s only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers.”

Sophie Turner

For some stars, an overseas move is more explicitly political. After years spent between Los Angeles and Miami, the Game of Thrones star shared that in the aftermath of her split from Joe Jonas, she had largely relocated to her native Britain. “The gun violence, Roe v. Wade being overturned…Everything just kind of piled on,” she told Harper’s Bazaar UK last fall. “After the Uvalde [school] shooting, I knew it was time to get the fuck out of there. I’m so happy to be back. I never feel like myself when I’m not in London.”