Comedian and former talk show star Ellen DeGeneres has revealed that she and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, moved to the UK just before the 2024 U.S. elections, and decided to stay for good after Donald Trump was re-elected as President.
Speaking at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, England, Ellen told the audience that the couple originally planned to stay in Britain temporarily.
“We bought what we thought was a part-time house,” she said. But the results of the election quickly changed their plans. “We got here the day before the election and woke up to a bunch of texts with crying emojis. I just knew, he won. And we said, ‘We’re staying here.’”
Ellen and Portia have now made a life for themselves in the English countryside, and Ellen couldn’t stop praising it.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said, describing the charming villages, clean surroundings, polite people, and the overall peaceful vibe. “Everything here is just better, even the way animals are treated.”
The 67-year-old, known for her humour and love of animals, also shared fun details about her new rural life. In May, she posted a video riding a lawnmower around her British estate.
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“Portia flew her horses here, I have chickens, and for a while, we even had sheep. It’s just a simpler, calmer life.”
She added that they moved in November, not the most pleasant time weather-wise, but she got to see snow for the first time in her life and enjoyed it.
“We love it here,” she said with a smile.
Ellen also took a moment to talk about something that’s still very close to her heart: LGBTQ+ rights. She revealed that if same-sex marriage were ever reversed in the U.S., she and Portia would have another wedding in the UK.
“The Baptist Church in America is trying to undo gay marriage,” she said. “They’re really pushing for it to stop, and even trying to reverse it for those already married. If that happens, Portia and I are already looking into getting married again here in the UK.”
She also expressed disappointment that being openly gay in Hollywood still isn’t easy. “People are still scared. It’s still a problem.”
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Ellen didn’t shy away from discussing the controversy that surrounded the final years of ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, which ended in 2022 after 19 seasons. The show’s reputation took a major hit following allegations of a toxic work environment behind the scenes.
Although she wasn’t directly accused of abuse, critics blamed her for not stepping in to fix the issues.
Speaking openly, she said the ending of her show “was unpleasant.” After the scandal, headlines branded her as “mean,” something she says deeply hurt her. “It didn’t matter what the article was about, it always said, ‘She’s mean.’ And I didn’t know how to talk about it without sounding like I was whining.”
“I’m a direct person,” she explained. “I’m very blunt. I say what I mean. But I guess that made people think I was mean.”
Ellen said she’s found it hard to shake that label, even though it doesn’t reflect who she really is. “It’s hurtful,” she admitted. “I know who I am. I’m kind, empathetic, and compassionate. It hurts that people don’t see that.”
Since stepping away from TV, Ellen released a Netflix comedy special and declared that she was “done” with the entertainment world. “I got kicked out of show business for being mean,” she said, sarcastically.