Nov 21
Ellen and Wife Portia de Rossi Reportedly Fleeing the U.S. in the Wake of the Election
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
It's almost become a cliché: With every presidential election, people on both sides of the political divide swear if their candidate doesn't win they will leave the country. It turns out, though, that Ellen means it.
The comic and former daytime talk show host has put the home she shares with wife Portia de Rossi up for sale, and the couple have left the U.S. for the UK – "with no plans to return," according to The Daily Beast.
"Someone 'close to the former TV host' told The Wrap that Trump's decisive win was the primary motivator for the move and that the couple may never come back to the United States," the Beast went on to add. "Just a few months earlier, DeGeneres sold a separate home near Santa Barbara for a whopping $96 million."
Citing TMZ, the Beast relayed that DeGeneres and De Rossi "purchased their new home in the Cotswolds region in rural England before the election, but were 'very disillusioned' by the results and decided to 'get the hell out.'"
"Ellen was among the high-profile donors for Vice President Harris, cutting a $3,300 check for her," TMZ detailed. "She also endorsed Harris on social media after the VP was tapped to replace President Joe Biden on the ticket back in July."
TMZ recalled that DeGeneres posted at that time, "There's nothing more powerful than a woman whose time has come!! I can't wait for @KamalaHarris to be our next president."
That, of course, was not the outcome of this month's election. LGBTQ+ equality advocates are bracing for a second term under Donald Trump that promises to be far more devastating, efficient, and swift-moving than the first one was in terms of demolishing social and political norms and rescinding the rights of queer Americans and other minorities.
DeGeneres' expatriate status follows what she described as an exile from the world of professional entertainment.
"DeGeneres has been open about being 'kicked out of show business' after reports of toxic workplace behavior at the syndicated 'Ellen' show in 2022," The Wrap noted, citing Ellen's recent comedy special, "For Your Approval," which the comic said would be her last.
Meanwhile, Ellen's "Montecito mansion, roughly 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, has been pocket-listed or will be listed soon," The Wrap went on to add, citing the same unnamed source.
It also seems as though the out comic is tying up her professional life in the U.S. The Wrap relayed that "A former spokeswoman for DeGeneres said she is no longer representing the comedian since her comedy special and tour are concluded."
Ellen may not be the only LGBTQ+ person of note to flee Trump 2.0. Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged transgender daughter, announced her plans to leave the country following Trump's win. Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, made anti-trans rhetoric a fixture of their campaign, pumping millions into attack ads targeting the trans community.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.