It’s been over a year since Ellen DeGeneres fled America and moved to rural England with her wife Portia de Rossi. They made this move in response to Donald Trump winning his second presidential election in the U.S.
Last month, we reported that DeGeneres, 67, and de Rossi, 52, had allegedly backtracked on fleeing America for England and were plotting a return to the U.S. Now, DeGeneres has purchased a lavish estate in Southern California as she prepares to make this return to America.
DeGeneres Buys California Mansion
DeGeneres and de Rossi have reportedly purchased a home in Montecito, California for $27.4 million. They closed on the estate in late November through a trust long associated with DeGeneres’ real-estate holdings, according to Realtor.com. They reportedly bought the home from the Hollywood producer Brian Grazer.
DeGeneres’ new home sits on roughly 3 acres behind gates and hedges. Indeed, the secluded compound includes a main residence and two guest cottages.
Grazer bought the property back in 2012 for $7.6 million. He later completed the primary residence in 2015.
Since the sale was completed privately, images of the home are not currently available. It’s unclear if DeGeneres plans to use the home as her primary residence, or hold it as an investment.
DeGeneres Flees America
DeGeneres closed on this home one year after she fled America. She and de Rossi settled in rural England in an area known as the Cotswolds. DeGeneres later confirmed that she left America because of President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
“We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in,’” DeGeneres said at a July event in England. “And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
DeGeneres went on to gush over her new life in the United Kingdom.
“We moved here in November, which was not the ideal time, but I saw snow for the first time in my life,” she said at the time. “We love it here. Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
DeGeneres Has Second Thoughts
In the months since then, however, DeGeneres and de Rossi have reportedly changed their tune. When faced with the prospect of spending another cold winter in dreary England, the couple reportedly decided it might be best to come crawling back to America. DeGeneres is reportedly also desperate for a comeback in Hollywood, something that she struggled to make happen from overseas.
“Ellen is realizing it’s hard to close deals or hold meaningful creative meetings from across the pond,” a source told Radar Online last month. “Zoom can only do so much, and L.A. thrives on face-to-face interaction.”
“Ellen is desperate for a fully-fledged showbiz comeback,” the insider added. “Whether that means a sitcom, comedy specials, or producing, she is up for anything at this point. And Portia wants to re-engage with the world. Both of them are craving a life that’s more than rainy pastures, cow muck, and chickens.”
DeGeneres’ purchase of a Montecito mansion indicates that she might be returning to America full-time very soon. In the end, it seems that DeGeneres has learned the hard way that regardless of who is in the White House, life in America is simply the best.
Good riddance, Ellen DeGeneres!