Ellen DeGeneres is back in the headlines for another shocking reason – she’s fled the U.S. in the wake of Donald Trump’s election win. Just a few weeks after her final Netflix comedy special saw her announce she was ditching Hollywood, the fallen talk show host has proven that was no joke by leaving the States for the U.K. along with her wife, Portia de Rossi.
As per The Wrap, the incoming second Trump administration was the “primary motivation” for DeGeneres and de Rossi’s transatlantic move, although obviously Ellen was already looking for a fresh start before the election results — in her special, she spoke about being “kicked out of show business” following the toxic workplace scandal that erupted around her show in 2022.
DeGeneres and de Rossi have already upped and left, relocating to the Cotswolds in the U.K., with their Montecito mansion having been either pocket-listed or set to be listed very soon. Montecito is famously home to many notable A-listers, including Oprah Winfrey, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have their own reasons for opposing a Trump presidency, so could they pull an Ellen and flee the U.S. themselves?
Could Harry and Meghan ditch the U.S. for the U.K. like neighbor Ellen DeGeneres?
Famous faces threatening to leave the States due to Trump taking over the Oval Office dates back to 2016, but as we’re soon heading into the Home Alone 2 bit part actor’s second term of office, Ellen is actually biting the bullet and making the move. As Trump has previously warned Harry he could deport him back to the U.K. and has labeled Meghan as “nasty,” could the Sussexes follow suit?
Well, the odds are good that the couple will at least be spending more time away from the States. Maybe because they already saw the writing on the wall, the Sussexes purchased property in Portugal earlier this fall, giving them not only a European base for the first time since leaving England in 2020 but also a home near Harry’s closest Royal relative, his cousin Princess Eugenie, and her young family.
Theoretically, Eugenie could potentially talk Harry around into coming back to Britain, and some speculate that Meghan could be cajoled into returning herself — despite her quest to avoid setting foot in the country now stretching into its third year. That said, there’s likely no rush for Harry to run before Trump hunts him down. If the Cheeto-in-Chief does come for the prince over his visa discrepancies, as he’s threatened, then he’d have to do the same thing to his wife, Melania.
The Sussexes may well follow in DeGeneres’ footsteps in having somewhere in Europe they can bolt to when things get tough, but unlike her they seem to be keeping their roots in Montecito for the foreseeable. Who knows, Harry’s proven himself surprisingly nimble at performing skits with his celebrity pals… Maybe he could become the new Ellen and fill his time by hosting a talk show?