A famous American comedian confirmed reports that she left the country because of President Donald Trump's election last November, according to a new report.
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, moved to the United Kingdom before Trump was elected. DeGeneres told a crowd at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire that "life is just better here" because America can be "scary for people to be who they are," the BBC reported.
"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'," DeGeneres told the outlet. "And we're like, 'We're staying here'."
It's been almost six months since Trump was sworn in for his second term, but he's already made a major impact on American life. For instance, Trump has initiated one of the most wide-scale deportation efforts in American history. He has also passed legislation that makes sweeping changes to the health care system and social benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps.
To DeGeneres, who was one of America's biggest television stars for more than three decades, Trump's election inspired her and de Rossi to pursue a new life together. They are considering getting married in the U.K. after the dust from their move settles.
"It's absolutely beautiful," DeGeneres told the BBC. "We're just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture - everything you see is charming, and it's just a simpler way of life."
"It's clean. Everything here is just better - the way animals are treated, and people are polite. I just love it here," she continued.
DeGeneres isn't the only comedian to move abroad after Trump's election. Rosie O'Donnell moved to Ireland in March 2025.
O'Donnell slammed Trump's attacks against comedians in a recent Substack post.
"You don’t want free speech — you want blind loyalty," O'Donnell wrote. "But America doesn’t work like that. We question power here. We laugh at bullies."
