Actress Ellen DeGeneres, star of the new romantic comedy film "The Love Letter" gives her impersonation of Latin signer Ricky Martin as she arrives for the film's premiere May 13 in Los Angeles. The film, which also stars Kate Capshaw and Tom Selleck opens in the United States May 21. FSP/JDP
(Montecito, California) – Ellen DeGeneres has reportedly purchased a $27 million mansion in Montecito, California — just months after publicly vowing to leave the United States following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The move comes after DeGeneres made headlines for relocating to the United Kingdom in what critics described as a political “freakout” over Trump’s election victory. Despite the new California purchase, an insider told People magazine that DeGeneres is not permanently returning to the U.S., but instead plans to split her time between Montecito and the UK.
“She’s not moving back to the US but will continue to split her time between both the UK and Montecito,” the source said.
DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, previously bought a $14 million farmhouse in England’s Cotswolds in 2024, later upgrading to a glass-walled estate to better accommodate de Rossi’s horses. Sources say the couple has since missed California’s weather — and its equestrian scene.
The real estate purchase has raised eyebrows, especially after DeGeneres was spotted house-hunting in Montecito on the same day she was expected to participate in an anti-ICE protest movement. Meanwhile, locals in the Cotswolds say they haven’t seen her in months, despite conflicting reports that she spent much of last summer there.
DeGeneres previously confirmed that Trump’s election played a direct role in her decision to leave the U.S., telling a UK audience they arrived “the day before the election” and decided to stay after learning of the result.
Despite her move abroad, DeGeneres has remained politically outspoken and continues to expand her real estate portfolio — reinforcing her reputation as a celebrity house flipper with deep ties on both sides of the Atlantic.
