TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres has said that she moved to the United Kingdom after Donald Trump was re-elected US President, saying the decision came the very next day. In her first public appearance since the move, she spoke in a live event at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
According to the BBC, the 67-year-old American celebrity said she and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, initially planned to split their time between the US and the UK. But after Trump’s win, they decided to make England their permanent home.
“We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis,” she said. “And I was like, ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, “We’re staying here.'”
CONCERNS ABOUT RIGHTS IN THE US
Ellen also revealed serious concerns about the growing threats to LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. She said the couple is considering getting married again in the UK after efforts by US groups and lawmakers to reverse the right to same-sex marriage.
“The Baptist Church in America is trying to reverse gay marriage,” Ellen told BBC. “They’re trying to literally stop it from happening in the future and possibly reverse it. Portia and I are already looking into it, and if they do that, we’re going to get married here.”
She shared that despite the progress, being openly gay in the entertainment industry is still difficult for many. “If it was (better), all these other people that are actors and actresses that I know they’re gay, they’d be out, but they’re not, because it’s still a problem. People are still scared.”
STARS STAND TOGETHER AGAINST POLITICAL RHETORIC
DeGeneres came out in support of fellow comedian Rosie O’Donnell after Donald Trump threatened to revoke O’Donnell’s American citizenship.
O’Donnell, who recently relocated to Ireland following Trump’s return to office, faced an attack from Trump. The US president called her a “threat to humanity” and questioned her loyalty to the United States. “I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
DeGeneres shared an image of Trump’s post alongside Rosie’s detailed response and added a message: “Good for you.”
– Ends