logo
Ellen DeGeneres Says She Permanently Moved to the U.K. Because of Donald Trump: 'Everything Here Is Just Better'

Ellen DeGeneres Says She Permanently Moved to the U.K. Because of Donald Trump: 'Everything Here Is Just Better'

Yahoo4 days ago
The comedian initially planned to live in England part-time, but said Trump's re-election inspired her and wife Portia de Rossi to stay year-roundNEED TO KNOW
Ellen DeGeneres permanently relocated to the U.K. because of Donald Trump, she confirmed in a July 20 appearance
DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi initially planned to live in the U.K. part-time, but decided to stay year-round after Trump was re-elected
The comedian officially moved to the Cotswolds region of England in November 2024Ellen DeGeneres just confirmed that President Donald Trump inspired her permanent move to the United Kingdom.
Last November, the comedian and former talk show host, 67, and her wife, Portia de Rossi, relocated from the U.S. to the English countryside. In DeGeneres' first public appearance since moving to the Cotswolds region, she confirmed reports that she and de Rossi, 52, decided to settle across the pond after Trump, 79, was re-elected, per the BBC.
During a live conversation in the English town of Cheltenham on Sunday, July 20, English broadcaster Richard Bacon asked DeGeneres whether reports that Trump played a role in the move are correct, to which she replied, 'Yes,' per the BBC.
Initially, the Ellen DeGeneres Show alum thought she and her wife would spend just a portion — three or four months — of the year at their 'part-time house' in the U.K., she explained to Bacon at Cheltenham's Everyman theater. Then, Trump was re-elected.
The couple 'got here the day before the election,' DeGeneres recalled, 'and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in.' … And we're like, 'We're staying here.' '
In the same appearance, the comedian also raved to Bacon about life in the U.K., according to the BBC.
'It's absolutely beautiful,' the star said, adding that she and de Rossi are 'just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture — everything you see is charming and it's just a simpler way of life.'
"We moved here in November, which was not the ideal time, but I saw snow for the first time in my life,' the former California native recalled. 'We love it here. Portia flew her horses here, and I have chickens, and we had sheep for about two weeks.'
But it's not just the natural beauty the couple loves. 'Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite," DeGeneres said. "I just love it here."
The comedian had relocated to the English countryside last November, after selling her and de Rossi's California estate in August for $96 million, a real estate insider told PEOPLE at the time.
At the time, a source told PEOPLE that DeGeneres 'was in England house hunting in the beginning of October,' and 'ended up finding a house that she loved and purchased it shortly after.'
Along with de Rossi, DeGeneres has shared glimpses into life since settling across the pond on social media, but did not officially confirm the couple's reason for moving until the July 20 appearance.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Rumors that it had to do with Trump and his presidency have long swirled online, however — and even inspired a reaction from one of DeGeneres' fellow comedians, Rosie O'Donnell, who relocated to Dublin in January.
In April, the 63-year-old View alum — who has been vocal about leaving the U.S. as a result of the current Trump administration — told Us Weekly, 'I've never really known Ellen to say anything political in her life, so I was surprised to read that she left because of President Trump."
"Like, that shocked me, actually," added O'Donnell.
Read the original article on People
Solve the daily Crossword
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

MPs urge ministers to introduce long-awaited rules on supply chain deforestation
MPs urge ministers to introduce long-awaited rules on supply chain deforestation

Yahoo

time23 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

MPs urge ministers to introduce long-awaited rules on supply chain deforestation

MPs have called on ministers to introduce long-awaited rules aimed at removing products from UK shelves that have been farmed on land where trees were cut down. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) wrote to Environment Secretary Steve Reed calling for urgent action to tackle the issue in supply chains. Under the previous Government's proposals, businesses will be prohibited from using or selling goods containing palm oil, cocoa, beef, leather and soy linked to deforestation. This due diligence system was part of the 2021 Environment Act but ministers are yet to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation or set a timetable for when they will do so. EAC chairman Toby Perkins asked Mr Reed to set out a specific date for introducing the legislation 'ideally before the New Year' so that the rules can be in place for the new financial year in April. The letter said: 'Delays in bringing forward this legislation makes the Cop15 agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and the UK's commitment to ending deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, harder to achieve. 'However, it also leaves businesses with uncertainty and will leave them with less time to prepare and comply with the regime. 'On 2 June, in your response to the Committee, you recognised the urgency of taking action to ensure forest risk commodities are not driving deforestation and stated you would set out the Government approach in due course.' Several British supermarkets recently warned that they are in 'limbo' waiting for the Government to introduce the new rules. In an open letter earlier this month, retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury's and Lidl said deforestation presents an increasing risk to supply chain stability as well as food security. But they also said the UK could suffer millions in export losses to the European Union if Government inaction leaves businesses unprepared to comply with the bloc's own deforestation rules, which are due to come into force at the end of this year. Asked recently whether the Government has a timetable for introducing the legislation, the Environment Secretary told the PA news agency: 'Currently no, but we are working at pace so we can do this as quickly as possible.' On the supermarkets' letter and whether the Government is looking to speed up progress on introducing the rules, Mr Reed said: 'Absolutely.' 'I agree with the supermarkets,' he said. 'The previous Government was just dragging their heels without ever coming to a conclusion about what we do about protecting forests in other countries as well as in our own country. 'And of course forests, trees, woodlands were very important for capturing carbon and cleaning the atmosphere so we don't want to be importing food that has been grown where the forests have been destroyed. 'The Government is working with supermarkets, with food producers and internationally to make sure we get the outcome and we can do that as soon as possible to give everybody certainty about how we move forward on this.' PA has contacted the Environment Department for comment.

20 Far-Right Conservatives Spewed Their Wild Beliefs In A Debate With 1 Progressive, And It's Going Viral For Being Absolutely Absurd
20 Far-Right Conservatives Spewed Their Wild Beliefs In A Debate With 1 Progressive, And It's Going Viral For Being Absolutely Absurd

Buzz Feed

time24 minutes ago

  • Buzz Feed

20 Far-Right Conservatives Spewed Their Wild Beliefs In A Debate With 1 Progressive, And It's Going Viral For Being Absolutely Absurd

If you haven't heard of the media company Jubilee, they specialize in hosting political and social debates between people of widely opposing views, and their videos are known for being both educational and unhinged. Their latest video, called "1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives," features Mehdi Hasan, an award-winning journalist and former TV host on MSNBC, as the progressive. Hasan agreed to timed debates with a group of far-right conservatives on various political topics, and so many moments are going mega-viral. Some of the highlights from the 1 hour and 40-minute-long debate include one argument about whether or not immigrants are good for America: Jubilee / Via Then, during an argument about whether or not Donald Trump is defying the Constitution, one far-right debater made a shocking admission: After that, another far-right conservative made this bizarre claim during a debate on whether or not Donald Trump is pro-criminal: Jubilee / Via Then during an argument about Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, this horrific moment happened: Jubilee / Via Then, during the debate about immigrants being good for America, things got personal: One person said, "The value of these seem to be demonstrating how it is ok to say things in public that would have been unthinkable to admit 10 years ago." @adityav84 / Via "Just sat through the this.. The disgusting and horrible rhetoric that I just witnessed makes me absolutely sick," another person wrote. This person praised Mehdi's knowledge in the debate. "I gotta say, the few of these types of videos I've seen clips from, the person hasn't been argumentative enough. Has been too afraid to really drop the hammer on people. Mehdi IS that guy and I have loved every clip I've seen from this video. Knows his stuff and isn't afraid."

US Ally in Syria Issues Warning as Violence Stalls Trump-Backed Deal
US Ally in Syria Issues Warning as Violence Stalls Trump-Backed Deal

Newsweek

time25 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

US Ally in Syria Issues Warning as Violence Stalls Trump-Backed Deal

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A top representative of the United States' closest ally in Syria has shared with Newsweek an appeal for a major change in course on the part of the country's new government as yet another round of deadly clashes involving minority factions further undermined hopes for unity. The bloodshed, which reportedly saw more than 1,000 killed among Druze militias, Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribal fighters, Syrian state security forces and civilians, including a U.S. citizen, over eight days in the Al-Sweida region, is the latest sectarian violence to rock the war-torn nation following the collapse of more than half a century of Baathist rule in December. Druze leadership and the Syrian transitional government, led by former Islamist militant leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, have accused one another of wrongdoing throughout the latest round of fighting and previous clashes. For President Donald Trump's administration, it marked a new setback in the effort to align Damascus and the United States' decade-long partner in Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which leads a self-governing territory in the northeast. The SDF has condemned the government's actions in Al-Sweida and on the west coast, where militias tied to the government were accused in March of targeting another minority sect, the Alawites. "What happened in the coast and in Sweida makes Damascus untrustworthy among all segments of society," Sinam Mohamad, a representative of the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek. "A truly impartial investigation committee must be formed to uncover and document these violations and identify those involved to hold them accountable," she said. "This will be the first and most important step for Damascus towards establishing trust." Newsweek reached out to the Syrian Information Ministry and U.S. Central Command for comment. A member of Syrian Democratic Forces (L) and a member of the Syrian Transitional Government's Public Security Forces at the location of a prisoner exchange between the two sides in Aleppo, Syria, on April 3,... A member of Syrian Democratic Forces (L) and a member of the Syrian Transitional Government's Public Security Forces at the location of a prisoner exchange between the two sides in Aleppo, Syria, on April 3, 2025. More MOHAMAD DABOUL/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images A Multi-Sided War Since 2015, the SDF has served on the front lines of the U.S. war against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), over which Trump declared victory during his first administration in 2019. U.S. troops remain deployed to the northeast under the official mission of combating the remnants of ISIS. Before aiding the SDF, the U.S. had backed predominantly Arab rebel forces that first rose against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011, sparking a civil war. The SDF would go on to clash with a number of these same groups, some of which are now predominantly backed by Turkey. Syrian opposition forces scored their biggest victory in December when they managed to oust Assad in an 11-day lightning offensive, followed by Sharaa assuming the presidency. The dramatic turn of events quickly sparked tensions between the new government and the SDF, which was forced to withdraw from several areas amid clashes. The U.S. has since maintained its partnership with the SDF but also played a key role in securing a deal in March that would see the SDF-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria integrate into the new central government, thus avoiding a new all-out conflict. Yet instances of minorities being targeted elsewhere in the country have raised new questions over Sharaa's control over the array of insurgents who helped bring him to power, even as the new Syrian leader repeatedly vowed to hold all perpetrators accountable. "The army's job is to protect the homeland and its citizens, not the other way around," Mohamad said. "These scattered and recurring incidents here and there make us take a step make us say that Damascus does not have that kind of control over the army, for that it cannot control those unruly elements." Syrian Democratic Forces command Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (R) sign a deal in Damascus, on March 10, 2025. Syrian Democratic Forces command Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (R) sign a deal in Damascus, on March 10, 2025. Syrian Arab News Agency/AP False Starts The SDF has engaged in negotiations to integrate with Damascus on several occasions throughout its 10-year existence. While Kurdish factions remained largely neutral in the civil war between Assad and rebels, alternatively fighting with one side or the other at various times, the Iran- and Russia-backed Syrian ruler's comeback from defeats in the earlier stages of the war paved the way for potential partnerships. Each time, however, talks unraveled, and Assad remained under U.S. sanctions, accused of war crimes and considered a pariah by the West. These sanctions were lifted late last month by the Trump administration "in support of the Syrian people and their new government as they rebuild their country and have the opportunity to become a stable and prosperous nation at peace with itself and its neighbors." The move followed Trump's meeting with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, after which the U.S. leader offered praise for his Syrian counterpart. But just as Sharaa's commitments to building an inclusive future for his country have been challenged by sectarian violence involving Alawites and Druze, disagreements over the U.S.-backed deal have left few signs of progress in the Damascus-SDF integration process. Israel's intervention, which has included strikes against government sites in Damascus, under the pretext of protecting minority groups, has also added to pressure against the government. "No one wants to see their capital bombed by external forces," Mohamad said. "Therefore, Damascus must realize that Syria cannot be returned to the pre-2011 state. It wants to completely dissolve the SDF and integrate it into the Syrian army. This is not possible in this way." "Trust must exist first and foremost, and rights must be guaranteed within political participation and a comprehensive constitution," she added. "Such a process, within the conditions we discussed previously, require time, as it will proceed according to agreed-upon steps." At the same time, Damascus has consistently defended its position and warned against delaying the process for too long. "Delaying the implementation of this agreement will prolong the chaos, open the door to foreign interference and fuel separatism," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said during a joint press conference alongside his counterparts from Jordan and Turkey in May, according to the Al-Quds Al-Araby outlet. Syrian government security forces stand atop an earth barrier created as a buffer between Druze and Bedouin militias during their deployment in Busra al-Harir in Syria's southern Daraa province on July 21, 2025. Syrian government security forces stand atop an earth barrier created as a buffer between Druze and Bedouin militias during their deployment in Busra al-Harir in Syria's southern Daraa province on July 21, 2025. OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images Pressure Builds Damascus is not the only actor that would like to see a swift implementation of the agreement. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has emerged as Sharaa's closest international partner over the past seven months and a key factor in Trump's embrace of the Syrian leader, has directly accused the SDF of "stalling." More recently, on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went as far as to threaten direct intervention against any other groups seeking to take advantage of sectarian strife to pursue separatist aims. "If you go beyond that and use violence to divide and destabilize, we will perceive it as a direct threat to our national security and intervene," Fidan said, as reported by ABC News. The Turkish top diplomat went on to warn that "trying to extract autonomy or independence from chaos built on blood and created with someone else's help is a perspective that leads nowhere," emphasizing that "now is the time for integration" and "for everyone to hold onto life while preserving their identity and beliefs." Turkey views the SDF and affiliated groups, such as the People's Protection Units (YPG), as direct wings of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey has conducted several cross-border operations along with numerous strikes against SDF positions under the pretext of combating the PKK, which both Ankara and Washington view as a foreign terrorist organization. In May, the PKK announced it was disarming after reaching a peace deal in the group's decades-long conflict with Turkey. Yet Turkish officials have remained cautious about remnants of the group attempting to continue the struggle on behalf of the PKK. In a rare instance of Washington officials also tying the U.S.-supported SDF to the U.S.-blacklisted PKK, Thomas Barrack, who serves as Trump's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, told reporters last week that "SDF is YPG, YPG is a derivative of PKK." The U.S. envoy acknowledged that "YPG was a spinoff of PKK that we allied with to fight ISIS," and also appeared to temper sympathies for the SDF's cause in Washington, including among members of Congress. "There's no question—especially Congress has a very soft spot in their heart for SDF, and it's been very clear that we want to pave and provide an onramp for them to join what? The Syrian Government," Barrack said. "There's not an indication that there's going to be a free Kurdistan." "There's not an indication that there's going to be a separate SDF state," he added. "There's not an indication on our part that there's going to be a separate Alawite state or a separate Druze state. There's Syria." Mohamad, for her part, argued that the SDF was also rallying behind Syrian unity. However, she advocated for a new style of government that would afford more distance from the state for various communities. "We support the unity of Syrian territory and the unity of the people as well. We do not equivocate on this issue," Mohamad said. "We share the autonomous areas of administration with our Arab brothers who live with us, as well as the Syriacs, Assyrians, Armenians, and others. We are not alone in this matter. Everyone has concerns, and this is natural." "Whatever the name of the country's political system, it must preserve privacy for everyone," she added. "It doesn't matter what name we call it, federalism, autonomy, or decentralization. What matters is ensuring that privacy. When we feel safe, we won't need those massive armies. In any case, it is part of the Syrian state army." A Syrian Democratic Forces member watches as U.S. forces assigned to the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment patrol with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in an undisclosed location, on April 14, 2025. A Syrian Democratic Forces member watches as U.S. forces assigned to the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment patrol with M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in an undisclosed location, on April 14, 2025. Master Sergeant Ray Boyington/Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve/U.S. Army Questions over U.S. Presence As Washington steadily recalibrates its policies, questions continue to surround the future of the U.S. military presence in Syria, a nation in which Trump once said the U.S. should have no involvement in the immediate aftermath of Assad's ouster. The Pentagon revealed around this time that there were approximately 2,000 U.S. troops there, an increase from the previously reported figure of 900. U.S. troops in Syria are deployed both alongside the SDF in the northeast as well as alongside the Syrian Free Army rebel group in the southeast desert garrison of Al-Tanf. Trump had previously voiced intentions to withdraw all troops from Syria during his first administration, and, months after he took office a second time, the Pentagon announced in April that it would begin reducing the U.S. military footprint in the country by more than half. Mohamad, however, downplayed the prospect of any concerns among the SDF in response to the U.S. drawdown. "We have no fear of reducing the number of forces," Mohamad said, "as coordination is ongoing, and we have a professional military force trained for these tasks." She maintained that "the international coalition is present in the areas of autonomous administration, and we are working together on issues related to combating terrorism and stability in the region as well." "We are taking the path of dialogue that establishes a democratic system and consolidates justice and law for all, while they view the matter as a central government with a single vision," Mohamad said. "If the Syrian-Syrian dialogue carries national goals, it will not need guarantees." "However, the discussions are now being conducted through American mediation, so it directly becomes a guarantor of any agreement," she added. Such a deal, she said, would include "agreeing on a constitution that guarantees all citizenship rights and the privacy of the communities living on the homeland." "We are completely open to a serious national dialogue that stops the bloodshed and unites the country," Mohamad said. "I believe this is also Damascus's intention, but the approach is different."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store