Ellen DeGeneres fled the States - now she must acknowledge her privilege

Metro

4 days ago

Let's not risk that by becoming a sanctuary of celebrity convenience (Picture:)
Ellen DeGeneres has officially joined the expat celebrity club.
In a conversation with broadcaster Richard Bacon in Cheltenham last weekend, she confirmed that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, decided to stay in the UK after waking up to the news of Donald Trump's re-election last year.
It's not hard to understand why. As someone who worked on Kamala Harris' campaign, believe me when I tell you that I know how that feels.
Ellen is a gay woman in her sixties and the second Trump term brings with it a terrifying new wave of assaults on LGBTQ+ people in the US, including efforts to reverse same-sex marriage and a complete ban on trans people serving in the military.
There's real fear and pain behind her decision.
Hardly anybody else gets to do what Ellen (left) and Portia (right) did (Picture:for RH)
But it's also true that this move, framed in quaint tales about chickens and charming architecture, is a glaring example of how celebrities treat immigration like a lifestyle choice – a kind of moral Airbnb.
Hardly anybody else gets to do what Ellen and Portia did.
They didn't have to apply for asylum or prove they were at risk. They didn't face months in detention centres or fight through legal appeals. They flew in, saw the rolling hills and historic towns, and decided to stay.
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Portia shipped her horses across the Atlantic. Ellen Instagrammed her runaway sheep.
Meanwhile, millions of people fleeing real persecution – including other LGBTQ+ people from countries far less safe than the US – are met with suspicion, bureaucracy, and deportation.
The decision for Ellen to leave, then, is understandable (Picture: Instagram @ellendegeneres)
In March, it was reported that Venezuelan gay asylum seeker Andry José Hernández Romero was deemed a 'security threat' to the US, seemingly for the crime of having two crown tattoos – a symbol that is commonly associated with the country's biggest gang.
He was sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador as part of Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign.
A US judge scolded Trump in April for these types of deportations that she said 'shocks the conscience'.
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Migrants seeking protection from Central American gangs or anti-LGBTQ+ militias are routinely detained in ICE's third-world condition facilities for months, sometimes years.
Children have died in custody. And under Trump, the asylum system has been weaponised beyond recognition, with fast-track removals and no due process now common practice.
And before you all start commenting nonsense about how I'm just a 'loony liberal' who wants 'uncontrolled open borders', that is not the point (nor what I'm arguing).
This is simply the reality of the landscape Ellen left behind – and never mentioned, from what I can see.
Under Trump, the asylum system has been weaponised beyond recognition (Picture: Olivier TOURON / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)
There was no nod to the brutality of US immigration. No solidarity expressed with those who are trapped by the very systems she's able to sidestep – just what appears to me to be a soft focus on village charm, polite locals, and snow.
Ellen is right. Things are bad and getting worse in the United States. But that doesn't make her decision to flee politically brave. It makes it personal – and deeply privileged.
And the moral collapse doesn't stop at the border – the same border where an eight-year-old girl died in custody after being denied medical care. All while the nodding dogs in the Republican Party cheer him on.
A country that once fought with us to defend democracy and liberate our allies abroad now shrugs at genocide. Its leader calls political opponents 'vermin', echoing fascist leaders at rallies, and chooses Putin over freedom.
Ellen's tale of 'simpler' life in the Cotswolds plays like a lifestyle rebrand (Picture: Instagram @ellendegeneres)
The decision for Ellen to leave, then, is understandable, but only the rich and famous Americans who can afford to just 'stay here' could have the gall to frame it as noble.
When others try to escape violence or discrimination, they're branded criminals, illegals, or queue-jumpers.
There is a version of this story that could be empowering, but Ellen's tale of 'simpler' life in the Cotswolds plays like a lifestyle rebrand.
As Ellen says, she's blunt. So here's some bluntness back: immigration is not a whimsical fantasy. It's a brutal, bureaucratic, often heartbreaking process, even for the average middle-class.
Until everyone has the same right to safety that she and Portia exercised without blinking, we should stop pretending that celebrity moves like this are acts of bravery. They're not. They're acts of gross privilege – plain and simple.
Things are bad and getting worse in the United States (Picture:for Live Nation)
But, hey, listen, I get it. I also love our messy, over-apologetic, queue-loving little island too. The weather's grey, the trains are late, and somehow Farage made it into Parliament, but at our core, we're diverse, tolerant, and welcoming.
We didn't hesitate to stand up to Putin, opened our arms to refugees, led on abortion rights and equal marriage, and still serve as the world's moral compass.
Anyone who comes to our great country – and integrates – contributes, pays their taxes, and participates in our shared civic life is more than welcome.
After all, that is who we are as a country.
Let's not risk that by becoming a sanctuary of celebrity convenience.
Instead, let's stick to welcoming people who will integrate, contribute, and enrich our communities. Because in the end, it's those people – not the privileged few – who truly reflect the best of who we are.
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