15 Stars Who Left America — And the Surprising Reasons Some May Never Come Back — Photos

Some of Hollywood's biggest stars didn't just leave America - they built new lives abroad. Their reasons may surprise you, and several say they're happier where they are.

Some celebrities didn't just leave - they found lives they say are better elsewhere. Amber Heard recently sparked fresh online discussion, Rosie O'Donnell has revealed the only condition under which she'd return, and Richard Gere says his family is "happier than ever." These are the 15 stars who decided a new life abroad was the right move.

1. Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson returned to Canada because she wanted to rebuild her life away from the public image that had followed her for decades.

Speaking to Better Homes & Gardens in 2024, Anderson said, "A few years back, I kind of gave up at some point and needed a change. I thought, 'Well, I guess that's just what people think of me.' I was not in a good space when I moved back to Canada."

She restored her grandmother's property on Vancouver Island and found healing through gardening, calling it "a metaphor of putting my life back together." The move marked a fresh chapter, allowing Anderson to reconnect with home while redefining her career on her own terms.

2. Shania Twain

Shania Twain moved to Switzerland in the late 1990s seeking privacy, but the country became the backdrop for some of the biggest challenges of her life.

According to The Times, while living near Lake Geneva with then-husband Robert "Mutt" Lange, Twain battled Lyme disease, which damaged the nerves controlling her vocal cords and forced her away from music for years.

In 2008, her marriage ended after Lange had an affair with her close friend and assistant, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.

The heartbreak unexpectedly led Twain to Marie-Anne's former husband, Frédéric Thiébaud. The two found comfort in one another after the betrayal and married in 2011, turning one of the darkest chapters of Twain's life into a new beginning.

3. Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan says Dubai gave her something she rarely experienced growing up in Hollywood: stability. After living briefly in London, she visited Dubai and decided to stay.

In a 2023 interview with Allure, Lohan described enjoying a structured daily routine, saying, "Sometimes, I call it The Truman Show, because it's the same thing every day. But I love it."

She also said living there freed her from worrying about paparazzi whenever she stepped outside. Dubai is where she met her husband, Bader Shammas, and built her family life, making the city far more than just a change of scenery.

4. Sophie Turner

Returning to England made Sophie Turner feel like herself again.

After six years living in Los Angeles and Miami during her marriage to Joe Jonas, Turner told Harper's Bazaar UK in October 2024, "I'm so happy to be back. It felt as if my life was on pause until I returned to England."

She said she missed sharing important milestones with family and close friends while living abroad.

Turner also pointed to gun violence and the overturning of Roe v. Wade as events that changed how she viewed raising her family in the United States, saying the Uvalde school shooting convinced her it was time to leave.

5. Richard Gere

Richard Gere says moving to Spain was about putting his family's happiness first.

In an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, Gere said the move would be "a great adventure" for him, while giving his wife Alejandra Silva the chance to be closer to her family, lifelong friends, and culture.

"She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world," he said. "So I think it's only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers."

He also praised Spain's lifestyle, food, and people, saying he admired the country's joy for life and looked forward to raising their children there.

Several months after relocating, Gere reflected on the decision in a January 2025 interview with Elle Spain, later reported by People. "The truth is that you are seeing us in our momentum. We are happier than ever," he said. "[Alejandra], because she is at home and I because, if she is happy, I am happy."

In April 2025, Silva told the Daily Mail that she still misses America and expects the family to eventually divide their time between the two countries. "We're always coming back," she said.

6. Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell says moving to Ireland gave her the fresh start she was looking for, but she has also made it clear what would have to happen before she would consider returning to America.

In a March 2025 TikTok video, O'Donnell said she had quickly felt at home after relocating with her child, Clay, in January 2025, describing the Irish people as "so loving and so kind, so welcoming."

She also revealed that she was in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship through her family heritage. Even so, O'Donnell admitted she misses her other children and longtime friends in the United States.

She also shared the only circumstance under which she would consider returning: "When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back."

After President Donald Trump later suggested revoking her U.S. citizenship, O'Donnell responded on Instagram, writing that "this is why I moved to Ireland."

7. Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria says leaving Los Angeles was not about walking away from Hollywood. It was about recognizing that one chapter of her life had ended.

She, husband Jose Baston, and their son Santiago now split their time between Spain and Mexico while she continues working internationally.

In her November 2024 Marie Claire cover story, Longoria said California had changed over the years, recalling, "The vibe was different."

She pointed to issues such as homelessness and high taxes before acknowledging that she was fortunate to have the means to live elsewhere. She said:

"I'm privileged. I get to escape and go somewhere. Most Americans aren't so lucky. They're going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and sadness is for them."

Although she continues acting and producing, Los Angeles is no longer the center of her daily life.

8. George Clooney and His Wife, Amal

George Clooney believes leaving Hollywood has given his children something more valuable than fame.

Speaking to Esquire, he said he and his wife, Amal, enjoy raising twins Ella and Alexander, who were born in 2017, on their farm in France, where celebrity means far less than it does in Los Angeles.

"They're not on their iPads," Clooney said, explaining that his children spend more time outdoors and share meals with adults. He added, "France - they kind of don't give a [expletive] about fame. I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi."

For Clooney, living in France is about giving his children the chance to grow up outside Hollywood.

9. Amber Heard

Amber Heard stepped away from America after her highly publicized defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp and quietly started over in Spain with her daughter, Oonagh Paige.

According to People in July 2023, Heard felt she "just had to get out of the U.S." after months of intense public scrutiny. She first moved to Mallorca before settling in Madrid, where sources said she enjoys greater privacy and has focused on raising her daughter.

"The trial was beyond stressful, and she wanted to start fresh," one source told the magazine. Another added, "She's independent and smart. She needs to heal."

Heard recently drew attention after being photographed in Spain.

On Instagram, someone else asked, "Did she have face lift already." Another wrote, "Oh my what happened to her?" A third commented, "She's beautiful," while another said, "Looks totally different."

One commenter observed, "Wow, she's looking really skinny. She lost a lot of weight." Another added, "Omg she's unrecognizable."

On X, reactions were more supportive. One user wrote, "Nice to see a calm, happy moment with family, hope they're enjoying a peaceful and well-deserved day together." Another simply remarked, "So pretty."

10. Ellen DeGeneres and Her Wife, Portia de Rossi

Ellen DeGeneres says what was meant to be a part-time home in England quickly became permanent.

Speaking to the BBC in 2025, she confirmed that she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, decided to remain in the United Kingdom after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

"We got here the day before the election," DeGeneres recalled. "We woke up... and we're like, 'We're staying here.'"

She has since embraced life in the Cotswolds, praising the countryside and slower pace.

Their move also reflects choices they made long before leaving America. In a 2013 interview with Out, de Rossi explained that neither she nor DeGeneres ever truly wanted children.

"You have to really want to have kids, and neither of us did," she said. "So it's just going to be me and Ellen and no babies."

She added that she had "never been happier," suggesting the couple had already built the life they wanted before moving overseas.

11. Courtney Love

Courtney Love has spent years saying she wanted to make London her permanent home, and she is now taking the final step.

According to the Daily Mail, Love moved to London from Los Angeles in 2019 and had long envisioned settling near the River Thames.

Speaking at London's Royal Geographical Society in March 2025, she announced that she was applying for British citizenship after living in the city for several years. "I'm really glad I'm here," Love said. "It's so great to live here."

Love also criticized Trump and the political climate in the United States, calling it "frightening." Applying for British citizenship marks the latest step in a plan she had been pursuing for years.

12. Gabriel Macht

After filming nine seasons of "Suits," Gabriel Macht decided his next chapter would be outside the United States.

"I grew up in L.A. and I lived in New York for many, many years," Macht told People. "Half of my life on the East Coast, half of my life on the West Coast."

He and wife, Jacinda Barrett, later moved overseas with their children, though he has chosen not to reveal where they live. "I don't tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps," he said.

The family had planned to homeschool their children before deciding to travel instead. "We decided to explore the world, so we left," Macht explained.

13. Robin Wright

Robin Wright says life in England has given her a different way to measure daily living.

Speaking to The Times, the actress said she has spent the past few years working mostly in the UK and renting homes in the Chilterns, where she spends weekends with her stepsister.

"I love being in this country," Wright said. "There's a freedom of self here. People are so kind."

She contrasted that with what she described as America's rush, competition, traffic, and constant pressure, saying life in the UK feels more present and less frantic.

14. James Cameron

James Cameron says he did not move to New Zealand for the scenery, even though he has admired the country for decades.

Speaking with Graham Bensinger in 2026, the Oscar-winning filmmaker explained his decision in one sentence: "I'm not there for the scenery. I'm there for the sanity."

Cameron first visited New Zealand in 1994 while traveling to Antarctica.

After weather delays left him stranded near Christchurch, he spent time exploring the country and says he fell in love with its scenery, people, and way of life. He promised himself he would one day live there.

He bought a farm in 2011 and permanently relocated with his family during the COVID-19 pandemic after spending years traveling back and forth while filming the "Avatar" movies there.

15. Lily Collins

Moving to Copenhagen gave Lily Collins more than a new address. Since relocating, Collins has spoken openly about how much she enjoys her new life and the slower pace it offers.

In a September 2023 interview with Elle Denmark, she said, "Everything. Life here is just so wonderful, and so calm, and bright... I love being able to bike everywhere, and it feels like a big city, but also very intimate, and everyone is so nice."

She echoed that sentiment in an August 2024 interview with Vogue Scandinavia, saying, "Everyone here is so cool, so chic."

As Collins settled into life in Copenhagen, another major milestone soon followed. According to InStyle, she and McDowell welcomed their first child, daughter Tove Jane McDowell, via surrogate in February 2025.

Announcing the news on Instagram, Collins wrote, "Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell. Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again..."

Between moving to Copenhagen and welcoming her daughter, Collins has built a new chapter in a city she says feels calm and welcoming.

Not every celebrity who leaves America plans to stay away forever. But for many on this list, moving abroad was more than a temporary escape.

They found stronger family ties, greater privacy, or a lifestyle that better suited their lives. Whether they eventually return remains to be seen, but for now, they appear content calling another country home.