Sophie Turner returned to London after her divorce. She said, “The gun violence, Roe v. Wade being overturned. Everything just kind of piled on. After the Uvalde [school] shooting, I knew it was time to get the f*** out of there. I’m so happy to be back. I never feel like myself when I’m not in London.”
Plenty of people dream of moving to the US, but many who live here also dream of leaving it. Here are 18 celebrities who moved out of the US—and why:
**1. Rosie O’Donnell – Ireland**
In a 2025 TikTok video, Rosie shared, “I’m here in Ireland, and it’s beautiful and warm—not physically, it’s actually quite cold. Moved here on January 15th, and it’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming, and I’m very grateful. I’m in the process of getting my Irish citizenship, as I have Irish grandparents, and that’s what’s going on.”
She added, “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. And here we are. You know, I’m happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home, and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country.”
Rosie concluded with a heartfelt message: “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights in America, that’s when we will consider coming back. 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.”
**2. Richard Gere – Spain**
In 2025, Richard Gere and his family relocated to Spain, which is where his wife, Alejandra Gere, is from. Speaking to Elle España, he said, “The truth is, you’re seeing us in our moment. We’re happier than ever. She’s happy because she’s at home, and I’m happy because if she’s happy, I’m happy.”
**3. Sophie Turner – London, UK**
During her marriage to Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner lived in LA and Miami but was homesick for the UK. After their divorce, she returned to London. She told Harper’s Bazaar UK, “The gun violence, Roe v. Wade being overturned. Everything just kind of piled on. 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.”
**4. Ellen DeGeneres – Cotswolds, UK**
In 2024, People reported that Ellen DeGeneres fell in love with a house in the Cotswolds in the UK and moved there with her wife, Portia de Rossi. Sources speaking to The Wrap and TMZ revealed the couple reportedly moved abroad following the results of the 2024 presidential election.
**5. Eva Longoria – Spain and Mexico**
Eva Longoria shared with Marie Claire in 2024 that she and her family have been splitting their time between Spain, where she often works, and Mexico, where her husband, José Bastón, is from. She said, “I had my whole adult life here. But even before [the pandemic], it was changing. The vibe was different. And then COVID happened, and it pushed it over the edge.”
She added concerns about homelessness and taxes, but stressed, “I’m privileged. I get to escape and go somewhere. Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and sadness is for them.”
However, Eva clarified on her friend Ana Navarro’s podcast *The View: Behind the Table*: “Will you please let them know I didn’t move out of Spain, I mean the United States, because of Trump?” She explained, “I’ve been in Europe working for almost three years. People just grabbed some clickbait stuff to be divisive, which makes me so sad. Everything you say is just meant to be divisive when we can’t be that way right now. I didn’t leave because of the political environment. I left because my work took me there.”
**6. Gabriel Macht – Unspecified Location Abroad**
In 2025, Gabriel Macht revealed that he and his family left the US sometime after *Suits* ended a few years prior. He told *People*, “I don’t tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps. I got out of town, and we’re exploring the world.”
Speaking with E! News, he said, “I want to see how the world looks in different people’s eyes. I want to see different perspectives. I want to learn from others. I want to see history and culture and character in different places in the world.” He appreciates the “anonymity” and “slower pace” of his new locale, adding, “I love being able to take nice walks. It helps to wear a hat.”
**7. Shaun Majumder – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada**
In 2025, Shaun Majumder and his family left LA and moved back to Canada, settling in Halifax instead of his native Newfoundland. He told CBC, “Have you been watching the news? Have you seen what’s going on? I ran out of a burning building with my youngsters under my arm and my wife on my back. I’m like, get me out of here, this is crazy!”
He explained that having young children changed his perspective, saying, “Living in Los Angeles is a really different experience than moving down there as a super enthusiastic whippersnapper actor.” Shaun mentioned the upcoming elections influenced their choice: “If Trump wins, I don’t know… I have a feeling that that’s going to be the kicker to get me to go.”
Following the election and chaotic times in LA, he said, “If the universe wasn’t screaming at us right now to get out of here, then this is definitely a kicker.”
**8. Pamela Anderson – Provence, France and Vancouver Island, Canada**
During her relationship with soccer player Adil Rami, Pamela Anderson moved to Provence because he played for Marseille. She shared with Net-A-Porter, “I fell in love with Saint-Tropez 20 years ago… It was always my plan to come and live here when the kids were grown up.”
In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, she returned home to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with her two adult sons, renovated her grandma’s motel, and worked on her grandpa’s garden. She told *Better Homes & Gardens*, “I was not in a good space when I moved back to Canada. I don’t know what happened over the last few decades, but I feel now so far removed from the image of who I was. I felt very sad and lonely.”
Pamela described gardening as a metaphor for rebuilding her life: “I began planting seeds, and the smallest things became really profound.”
**9. Tom Green – Ontario, Canada**
After living in Hollywood for 20 years, comedian Tom Green moved home to Ontario in 2021. He now lives on a 150-acre farm. He told *The New York Times*, “I’m not really a Hollywood guy. I started to feel like I wasn’t being true to my authentic self.”
**10. Janet Jackson – London, UK**
Janet Jackson has lived in London since around 2016. According to *The Guardian*, she stayed in the city after her 2017 divorce from billionaire Wissam Al Mana, who is from Qatar but resides in London, because they co-parent their son, Eissa.
She reflected, “The most important thing I’ve done… is become a mother. Your life completely changes. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
**11. Lily Collins – Copenhagen, Denmark**
Lily Collins and her husband, Charlie McDowell, relocated to Copenhagen in 2023. They honeymooned there in 2021 and co-own the media production and real estate company Case Study Copenhagen.
Lily told *Elle Denmark*, “Life here is just so wonderful and so calm and bright… I love being able to bike everywhere. And it feels like a big city but also very intimate, and everyone is so nice.”
**12. Lindsay Lohan – Dubai, UAE**
Lindsay Lohan and her family live in Dubai, having relocated there in 2014. According to *Cosmopolitan*, she moved because paparazzi are illegal in the UAE.
In 2024, she told *Flaunt*, “It’s still a city. So it’s pretty similar. I think the only difference is the time zone shift… I can do my work calls with New York at like three or four, and then LA picks up later.”
**13. Tina Turner – Switzerland and France**
Tina Turner moved to Switzerland in 1995 with her then-boyfriend (later husband) Erwin Bach. In 1997, she told CNN, “I have left America because my success was in another country, and my boyfriend was in another country.”
She also shared that she was “as big as Madonna” in Europe and lived in England and Germany before settling in Switzerland. In 2013, Tina married Erwin and became a Swiss citizen.
**14. Britney Spears – Mexico**
In a 2024 Instagram video, Britney Spears revealed she moved to Mexico due to the “extremely mean and cruel” treatment from paparazzi. She said, “It really kind of hurts my feelings that the paparazzi make my face look like I’m wearing, like, a white Jason mask… They’ve always been incredibly cruel to me.”
**15. George Clooney – Brignoles, Provence, France**
In 2021, George Clooney reportedly moved to Brignoles, Provence, with his wife Amal Clooney and their children. The couple seeks a “peaceful life” and want to primarily raise their children in France.
**16. Christina Milian – France**
In 2023, Christina Milian and her family moved to France, where her husband, singer M. Pokora, is from. She told *The Jennifer Hudson Show*, “My husband is French, and we’ve been together for over seven or eight years… For the last three or four years, we were commuting back and forth every six months. Then we decided to commit to it last year because our kids were going to go to school.”
**17. Josh Hartnett – Hampshire, UK**
Josh Hartnett and his wife, Tamsin Egerton, lived between the US and UK for years but spent lockdown in the UK. When expecting their third child, they decided to settle in Hampshire.
In 2024, he told *The Guardian*, “In NYC or LA, people only want to talk about your career, but in Hampshire, nobody cares.” Due to his marriage visa, he can only leave the UK for work 180 days a year—enough for about one movie. He enjoys spending more time with his kids.
**18. Michael Sheen – Port Talbot, Wales**
Michael Sheen moved from LA back home to Port Talbot in 2018. He first considered relocating seven years earlier when he played Jesus in a local theatrical production with residents impacted by rising costs and job losses.
He told *The Sunday Times*, “Once you become aware of difficulties in the area you come from, you don’t have to do anything… But I’d seen something I couldn’t unsee. I had to apply myself… I might not have the impact I’d like, but the one thing that I can say is that I’m doing stuff. I know I am—I’m paying for it!”
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Have you considered moving outside of the US? Where would you go? Let us know in the comments below! ⬇️
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristenharris1/celebrities-who-left-america-fs
