20 celebrities who left the country after a career in Hollywood

Ellen DeGeneres made a career out of making people laugh and reigned on television for a solid two decades thanks to her work on sitcoms and daytime TV. However, after facing some backlash and retiring from entertainment, DeGeneres and her wife, Portia DiRossi, moved to the United Kingdom. 

It’s hard to imagine George Clooney not ever being a part of Hollywood in at least some capacity, but it seems he no longer is part of the United States. The actor has had a home in Europe for decades, and now he has multiple, with his place in Provence serving as his primary residence. 

After facing major public backlash and losing a defamation trial against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, Amber Heard left the United States. The Aquaman actress now lives in Spain with her daughter. 

Britney Spears’ career has never been easy. She’s always caught grief from the media, particularly the paparazzi, and she finally had enough of it. Now, Spears lives in Mexico. 

Lily Collins still very much has a career in Hollywood, but she’s proof that actors can live anywhere in the world and still find work. The Emily in Paris star now lives in Denmark with her husband. 

Kate Walsh’s move was a situation of circumstance, but she seems happy. The actress went to Australia in 2020 ahead of the pandemic to visit her partner, Andrew Nixon. When it became impossible for her to return to the United States, Walsh stayed in Australia. 

Darius Rucker scared fans when he announced that he was moving to London. The musician did indeed move there, but he later clarified that he still loves the United States and considers the Carolinas home. 

It’s easy to understand why Janet Jackson left the United States. She can live anywhere she wants, and her family has been the subject of media storms for decades. The music icon has been living in the United Kingdom for about a decade. 

Lindsay Lohan hasn’t had the easiest go of it, either. After years in Hollywood, Lohan left her career behind and moved to the United Arab Emirates. While Lohan’s career has made a resurgence lately, she still calls Dubai home. 

Richard Gere is an icon, but he hasn’t been quite as active in Hollywood lately as he was in years past. The actor shared that he and his wife, Alejandra Silva, planned to move to Spain, Silva’s home country. 

Tina Turner left the United States long before she died. In 1995, she moved to Switzerland and kept her career up there. Eventually, the iconic singer married her German husband and became a Swiss citizen. 

Christina Milian’s career was huge in the 2000s, and while she’s still active in the entertainment industry, it seems that she can travel for work and doesn’t need to be in the States. Milian is married to a French native, and the two live in France with their children. 

Josh Hartnett is married to Tamsin Egerton, a United Kingdom native, and for years, the two split time between there and the United States. When COVID hit, the couple and their children stayed in the U.K., and they’ve been living there permanently ever since. 

When Josh Lucas moved out of the United States, he opted for a country that was quite different. The actor now lives in Indonesia. 

Sophie Turner isn’t originally from the United States, but she has been enjoying a career in Hollywood for years. However, because she feels the U.S. is no longer a safe place for women and children, she moved back to the United Kingdom. 

Minnie Driver isn’t a United States native, either, but she lived here for decades and became a U.S. citizen in recent years. But Driver moved back to the United Kingdom, where she’s from, after Donald Trump was elected president. 

Pamela Anderson’s move shouldn’t come as too much of a shock, considering she’s not originally from the United States. The actor decided to move back to Canada as she wasn’t happy in her life or career. Moving has served her well, and now she’s doing better than ever. 

Shania Twain isn’t originally from the United States, either, but after a fruitful career in music, the famed country singer left the U.S. But she didn’t return to her home country of Canada. Twain moved to Switzerland. 

Eva Longoria rose to fame thanks to her work on Desperate Housewives. While she still acts, produces, and directs, the triple threat no longer has a home base in the United States. Instead, she splits her time between Spain and Mexico. 

Madonna moved to London back when she was married to Guy Ritchie. While the singer and director have since split, Madonna hasn’t totally returned to the United States. She spends her time between her various homes across the world.