Ellen DeGeneres quietly moved to the UK last year following a wave of workplace allegations and public backlash
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Ever since Ellen DeGeneres revealed she was leaving the US, people have been speculating about what pushed her to make that choice.
In 2023, she made headlines by announcing she was done with Hollywood and told fans they 'won’t be seeing her again' after her Netflix comedy tour came to an end.
When someone asked if she had any other projects coming up, she simply responded: "Um, no. This is the last time you're going to see me. After my Netflix special, I'm done."
Her long-running and beloved daytime talk show came to a close in 2022. That decision followed several allegations of workplace misconduct, some of which were directed at DeGeneres herself.
On air, she addressed the claims and said: "I take this very seriously and I want to say I'm so sorry to the people it affected,"
"I learned that things happened that should never have happened."
Everyone has to retire at some point
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Live Nation
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"If I've ever let someone down, if I've ever hurt their feelings, I am sorry for that."
During one of her stand-up shows, Ellen admitted she felt like she’d been 'kicked out of show business for being mean.' But she pushed back, saying that while she may be a lot of things, being mean isn’t one of them.
There’s also been talk that another key reason for her move might’ve been Donald Trump’s return to political power, which has caused quite a few celebrities to distance themselves from the U.S. entertainment industry.
Around that time, a source reportedly told the Daily Mail that Ellen’s decision to leave the U.S. felt more like a form of retirement.
The source said that neither Ellen nor her wife Portia de Rossi had any new work in the pipeline and that their plans to relocate to the UK were already in motion before the 2024 election outcome was even known.
In a separate interview, Hello spoke with a real estate expert who offered a different theory behind Ellen’s decision — one that’s mostly flown under the radar.
She announced she was going to retire after her Netflix special, it seems she has
Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for RH
Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, pointed out that California’s additional tax on luxury homes valued over $10 million might be one reason celebrities are choosing to leave.
He noted: "Ellen is not the only one, as Rosie O'Donnell and other Hollywood stars are doing the same"
"California has super high income state taxes (14.4%). Combine that with capital gains, it's an expensive place to live."
Ellen and Portia made their move to the UK last year. Not long ago, they sold one of their U.S. homes for $5.2 million, which is just over £4 million.
The couple originally purchased that property in Montecito back in 2020 for $2.9 million, meaning they walked away with a nice profit.
However, one big listing still on the market is their $29 million mansion in Bel Air. If the right buyer comes along, it could be another major payout.