We’re Staying Here”: Ellen DeGeneres Opens Up About Leaving the U.S. for a New Life in England

Published: 22 July ‘2025. The English Chronicle Online

In a candid and heartfelt public appearance, Ellen DeGeneres has finally confirmed what fans and followers have long speculated—her decision to leave the United States was not just a lifestyle shift but a conscious act of protest against growing political and social instability in her home country. The former daytime television titan, known for her sharp wit and decades-long advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, shared her story during a recent event at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, England, where she detailed how the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election were the final push in a decision already long in the making.

Speaking to a full audience, DeGeneres, now 67, revealed that she and her wife, Australian-American actress Portia de Rossi, 52, had arrived in the UK just one day before the controversial re-election of Donald Trump. The next morning, they woke up to a wave of messages from friends—filled with disbelief and sorrow—confirming what they had feared. “He got in,” Ellen recalled. “And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’” The audience responded with understanding, many nodding in silent recognition of a sentiment shared by countless Americans who have grown disillusioned with the direction of their country.

What had originally been a plan for a part-time retreat in the Cotswolds—a serene and idyllic stretch of English countryside known for its timeless beauty—quickly transformed into something far more permanent. According to DeGeneres, it wasn’t a decision made lightly, but it was made with certainty. When asked outright if Trump’s victory sealed their departure, she replied with a simple, unwavering “Yes.”

Yet politics alone wasn’t the only driving force. DeGeneres spoke with notable sorrow about the broader cultural climate of the U.S., particularly the growing hostility toward marginalized communities. “I wish we were at a place where it was not scary for people to be who they are,” she said. “I wish that we lived in a society where everybody could accept other people and their differences. So until we’re there, I think there’s a hard place to say we have huge progress.” Her words carried the weight of someone who has lived both triumph and backlash in the public eye, and who continues to feel the shifting sands beneath the foundations of progress.

She also did not shy away from expressing concern over recent actions by the Southern Baptist Church, which is reportedly exploring ways to restrict or reverse marriage equality in the U.S. “They’re trying to literally stop it from happening in the future and possibly reverse it,” DeGeneres noted. “Portia and I are already looking into it, and if they do that, we’re going to get married here.” Her comment, both defiant and resolute, underscores a growing fear among same-sex couples in America that hard-won rights may once again be up for debate.

While Ellen and Portia may have found a new sanctuary across the Atlantic, the move also marks a dramatic shift in their personal and professional lives. With The Ellen DeGeneres Show now off the air after a nineteen-season run that included more than 60 Emmy wins, Ellen has stepped away from the fast-paced world of daytime television. The end of the show, however, was not without controversy. Allegations of a toxic workplace cast a long shadow over its final seasons, and in Cheltenham, she briefly touched on that as well. “I’m a direct person, and I’m very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that… I’m mean?” she said with a trace of sarcasm, reflecting on how perception can so easily cloud intention.

Today, life in the Cotswolds seems to offer a welcome contrast to the chaos left behind. Ellen has embraced the countryside lifestyle, often sharing glimpses of her days spent gardening, mowing the lawn, or watching sheep roam near their property. It’s a world away from the blinding lights of Los Angeles—but perhaps exactly the world she needs right now.

For Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, England represents more than just refuge. It is a space to breathe, to heal, and to continue loving one another freely, far from the political noise and societal battles that defined so much of their lives in America. It is a place where the personal and political collide gently, where private life can flourish without the constant need for defense. And in a time when millions seek clarity amid global unrest, Ellen’s story resonates with a quiet, unmistakable truth: sometimes, starting over is not an escape—it’s a stand.