Ellen DeGeneres has revealed the real reason she left the United States and settled in the Cotswolds with her wife Portia de Rossi. Speaking at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, the 67-year-old comedian said the decision was influenced by Donald Trump's election win and concerns over LGBTQ+ rights in America.
“We got here the day before the election,” Ellen told broadcaster Richard Bacon. “We woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in.' And we’re like, 'We’re staying here.'” The couple moved to the UK in November and have since embraced rural life, with Ellen describing the Cotswolds as “absolutely beautiful” and praising the “simpler way of life”.
Ellen also expressed fears that same-sex marriage could come under threat in the US. “The Baptist Church in America is trying to reverse gay marriage,” she said. “Portia and I are already looking into it, and if they do that, we’re going to get married here.” The couple originally wed in California in 2008 and are now considering a vow renewal in the UK.
The former talk show host, whose career was marred by a toxic work environment scandal in 2020, said she is now focused on her lifestyle brand Ed by Ellen and enjoying a quieter life with her wife and animals. “I saw snow for the first time in my life,” she added. “We love it here.”
