Ellen DeGeneres returns to California with $27M mansion purchase after fleeing US post-Trump victory

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Ellen DeGeneres returns to California with $27M mansion purchase after fleeing US post-Trump victory

A source told Fox News Digital that Ellen DeGeneres' move to Montecito is 'temporary'

Tracy Wright Fox News

Published

February 4, 2026 7:57pm EST

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Ellen DeGeneres is "California Dreamin'" more than one year after ditching the states for a farm in the English countryside.

While the former talk show host recently purchased a $27 million mansion in her beloved Montecito community with wife, Portia de Rossi, they likely won't be staying for long.

A source told Fox News Digital that the couple wanted to spend the winter in Montecito and that their move back to Southern California is "temporary."

"Ellen and Portia love the Cotswolds and can’t wait to return to England," the insider said.

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The couple has been "missing the California weather and horse scene" since their relocation across the pond, a source told People magazine, adding, "Portia loves polo and her horses."

Cotswold locals told the publication they hadn't seen DeGeneres "in ages." Another source said the comedian was once frequently spotted around town over the summer, but hasn't been seen since.

"She always looked friendly, but nobody ever approached her, and it was just another celeb to them," the insider added.

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DeGeneres, 68, and the "Arrested Development" actress sold their previous Montecito estate in August 2024 and purchased a farmhouse in the U.K.

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The move was initially slated as a part-time adventure where the couple could enjoy a few months of the year across the pond, but the comedian made things more permanent after Trump won the November 2024 elections.

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"We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in'," she told broadcaster Richard Bacon during her first U.K. appearance since moving, per the BBC. "And we're like, 'We're staying here.'"

She's remained relatively private about her new life in the English countryside, but keeps fans updated about farm living on social media.

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres at the Vanity Fair Oscars party

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres married in 2008. (Getty Images)

"It's absolutely beautiful," she said. "We're 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. It's clean. Everything here is just better – the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here."

The former talk show host added, "We moved here in November, which was not the ideal time, but I saw snow for the first time in my life. We love it here. Portia flew her horses here, and I have chickens, and we had sheep for about two weeks."

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Last year, Rosie O'Donnell admitted she was "shocked" to hear why DeGeneres left the U.S.

Rosie O'Donnell supported Ellen's move across the pond. (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

"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," O’Donnell told Us Weekly. "I’ve been a political person my whole life, not better or worse, it’s just a different way to be in the world.

"I was very clear about the reason why I was leaving, and I don’t think it came as a surprise to anyone. We’re not really in each other’s worlds, and it’s been kind of awkward but you know what? I wish her the best. I wish that she has peace and love in her life and that she is OK."

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Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.

Ellen DeGeneres returns to California with $27M mansion purchase after fleeing US post-Trump victory