The former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron is speaking out this week to reveal why he fled California for a better life in Nashville, Tennessee two years ago.
Cameron Flees California
Cameron, 55, revealed that he left California because of its liberal policies and high cost of living.
“When you’re a kid in California it’s great because your parents are paying for everything,” Cameron told Adam Carolla on his podcast. “So, you go to the beach, you’re hanging out, you’re going snow skiing, you get to eat an In-N-Out burger, you get to get some, you know, hot dogs downtown in Hollywood. It’s great. You’re having a good time.”
Cameron went on to say that when his kids got out on their own, they realized just how expensive California really is.
“They realize how terrible the politics are and all of the other things that make it difficult to raise a family there,” Cameron continued. “And so all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we gotta move. We gotta go someplace where we can actually thrive and maybe even just survive.’”
Even so, Cameron still hopes to return to California someday “because pound-for-pound, I think California has just so much to offer. Although Tennessee is getting better.”
Cameron then said that people are “coming from New York and California like crazy to Tennessee, especially this middle Tennessee Nashville area. It’s pretty cool.”
“There’s so many creatives here that have good values. They love their family,” he gushed. “They’re proud of their country — and the whiskey is great. So, if you like whiskey and hot chicken, Nashville is the place to be.”
Cameron and his younger sister, the former Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is far from the only star to flee California in search of a better life elsewhere.
Gary Sinise Also Leaves California For Nashville
Earlier this week, the former Forrest Gump star Gary Sinise revealed that he too has left California for Nashville. Indeed, Sinise, 71, made the decision to leave both acting and California behind during a difficult time in his life. His son Mac had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2018. Sadly, Mac would go on to pass away in 2024 at the age of 33.
“When I stepped away from acting in 2019… I had made some money. I had some investments going,” Sinise told Fox News. “Mac fought for the next four or five years, and I was his battle buddy and just fighting with him. And my wife had a lot of challenges and everything. My dad had had a stroke and died in 2021. My mom was aging and falling apart. I mean, they needed me and that was important.”
“I started to think, ‘Well, what happens if I don’t go back to work? Do I want to spend all the money here in California paying these big prices for gas and property taxes and all the different things?'” he continued. “The house we had was a house that was very good for our family because it was big enough. We could provide shelter for a lot of the family members that may have been struggling at the time, but we weren’t in need of that anymore.”
Sinise Gushes Over Nashville ‘Lifestyle’
After looking at all their options, the Sinise family decided to move to Nashville. Indeed, this is a city that Sinise had become very familiar with over the years.
“I really started zeroing in on the lifestyle here,” he said. “There’s a gas station where I was getting gas for $2.59 a gallon. And then I visited California, you know, and they’re up at like, you know, $5.79 a gallon. So they’re a full $3 more a gallon for gas in California. I don’t understand it.”
“They’ve got a lot of resources in California and I just don’t know what they’re doing,” Sinise added. “I like the gas prices [here]. I like the no tax state, I like saving a bit more money. If I was still in California and not working, that money would be moving a lot faster out the door than it is right now. So I wanted to save money and prepare for the future. I don’t want to give it all to California and property taxes. I’d rather give it to my kids later on.”
Cameron and Sinise are just two of many who have fled California over the liberal policies that have driven the state into the ground. If California leaders really want people to stay there, perhaps they should rethink just how ridiculously far left they have allowed things to go in the Golden State.