Actress Angelina Jolie is packing up her Los Angeles home and apparently eyeing “several locations abroad,” according to People. Of course, she’s not the only one trading the Hollywood Hills for something quieter away from home. She joins a long list of stars, including Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres, who recently made headlines for their plans to head overseas following the 2024 election, citing frustration with the political climate and, of course, wanting to lead a quieter life away from the U.S. Richard Gere chose Spain to be closer to his wife’s family, calling it a move for balance and serenity. But there are plenty of others who feel the same way. Here’s a list of actors who no longer call America home.
Robin Wright
Robin Wright sat down for an interview on The View on September 16, admitting she’s settled into life in the U.K. after years of filming there. “All of the American productions I have done in the last three years have shot in England because of the tax break,” the House of Cards star said, adding, “It’s better than anywhere in Canada.” Born in Texas, Wright explained that shooting back-to-back projects overseas made her fall for the U.K. She also hinted at politics back home, confessing, “I’m troubled, like many of us are, about this state of our country,” before noting, “I’m so tranquil over there.”
Gabriel Macht
When Suits wrapped in 2019, Gabriel Macht didn’t just hang up Harvey Specter’s tailored suits—he and his family packed up and left the U.S. entirely. Where did they land? He’s not saying. “I don’t tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps,” he told People, adding, “I got out of town and we’re exploring the world.” Before signing on for Suits LA, Macht took what he called a “long break” from acting to focus on life with wife Jacinda Barrett and their two kids, Satine and Luca. For him, family clearly comes first.
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie didn’t mince words at a Spanish film festival when asked what she fears as an American artist. “I love my country, but at this time, I don’t recognize my country,” she told The Guardian, adding that restricting free expression is “very dangerous.” At 50, Jolie is also preparing a personal exit. She’s putting her Los Angeles mansion (bought in 2017 for $24.5 million) on the market and plans to move abroad once twins Knox and Vivienne turn 18 next year.
Courtney Love
Courtney Love has been calling London home since 2019, but now she’s making it official. Speaking at the Geographical Society in March, the 60-year-old singer revealed she’s in the process of securing British citizenship and expects it within six months. While she didn’t directly tie the move to Donald Trump’s presidency, Love has long been critical of him and didn’t hold back this time either. “In terms of Trump, and particularly this group… it’s like emperor-core. Like, wearing million-dollar watches. Emperor-core is going on at Mar-a-Lago,” she said, calling the U.S. political climate “frightening.”
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria set the record straight after headlines suggested politics drove her out of the U.S. Speaking with Marie Claire in November 2024, the 49-year-old explained that she and her family have been dividing their time between Spain and Mexico for work, not because of the election. She doubled down on The View’s Behind the Table podcast, telling Ana Navarro, “I’m a proud American. I’ve always been a proud American. Proud Texan, proud American. I didn’t want it to be taken that I left because of Trump — absolutely not — or because of the elections.”
Amber Heard
After her high-profile defamation trial with Johnny Depp, Amber Heard decided she couldn’t stay in the U.S. any longer. A source told People in 2023 that the actress faced death threats and relentless online harassment, which pushed her to leave the country with her young daughter, Oonagh Paige. Heard initially relocated to Mallorca, Spain, before finding a more permanent home in an upscale Madrid neighborhood. According to the source, “she gets more privacy” there—something she struggled to find in the States. For Heard, the move was less about reinvention and more about survival and protecting her child.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson returned to her roots on Vancouver Island in 2020, a move she admits was fueled by how she thought the world saw her. Speaking with Better Homes & Gardens in August 2024, the 57-year-old 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.” Anderson described feeling lonely and weighed down by regret, though she’s since found more peace than she ever did in Hollywood.
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan traded paparazzi chaos for privacy when she moved to Dubai in 2014, and by 2017 she was openly singing its praises. “I love living in New York, but I do love the serenity and peace that I find living in the Middle East because there are no cameras in Dubai and I can actually focus on what I want to do in life,” she told Entertainment Tonight. Now 38, the actress has built a family there with husband Bader Shammas. The couple welcomed their first child, son Luai, in Dubai, where Lohan says she’s finally found balance.
Christina Milian
Christina Milian revealed on The Jennifer Hudson Show that she and husband Matt Pokora have officially settled in France after years of dividing their time between there and the U.S. With their kids now school-aged, the choice felt obvious. “I love it out there!” she said. “So our children, they’re 3, 4, and of course Violet is 14, they’re all going to school in Paris. What better an opportunity than that?” Milian, 43, shares sons Isaiah, 5, and Kenna, 3, with Pokora, while her eldest, Violet, 15, from her marriage to The-Dream, is embracing Parisian life too.
Melissa George
Melissa George swapped New York City for Paris in 2016, moving with her two young sons, according to The New York Times Magazine. By 2020, the actress had expanded her French life even further, purchasing a home in Provence. The 17th-century property, which she recently showcased for the outlet, spans five stories and is filled with detailed furniture and personal custom touches she’s added over the years. Now 48, George appears fully rooted in France, balancing her career with family life while enjoying the quiet luxury of a centuries-old home that feels far removed from the fast pace of Hollywood.
Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson has called London home since around 2016, remaining there after her 2017 split from billionaire Wissam Al Mana to co-parent their son, Eissa. Speaking to The Guardian, the 58-year-old superstar reflected on how motherhood reshaped her priorities. “The most important thing I’ve done, the biggest thing I’ve done, is become a mother, and it’s had a beautiful impact on my life,” she said. Jackson admitted she once hoped for three children but ultimately decided one was enough, explaining, “You have to give all of yourself… your life completely changes. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett and wife Tamsin Egerton finally settled in Hampshire after years of splitting time between the U.S. and the U.K. The couple spent lockdown there and chose to stay when they were expecting their third child. In 2024, Hartnett told The Guardian that life in New York or Los Angeles felt suffocating, where “people only want to talk about your career,” while in Hampshire “nobody cares.” On a marriage visa, he can only leave the U.K. for 180 days each year, enough to film one project. The 46-year-old actor says that’s perfect—more time with his kids while they’re young.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp, now 62, ditched Hollywood years ago and never looked back. He bought a full village near St. Tropez in 2001, then tried selling it from 2015 for $63 million. No takers. So he stayed. Back in 2010, he called life there paradise. “It’s a property of about 30 acres and you know what I do there? Absolutely nothing.” In 2024, he doubled down with new renovations. France stuck. The UK too.
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal, 73 in 2025, didn’t just flirt with Russia. He moved in. Putin handed him Russian citizenship in 2016, and Seagal settled into Moscow life, popping up beside the president like a bonus bodyguard. In 2018, Russia named him a special envoy for U.S.–Russia humanitarian ties. He’s praised Putin as a “great world leader,” backed Crimea and Ukraine moves, waved at the 2025 Victory Day parade, sold off businesses, yet kept his Kremlin connections. You’re watching loyalty with paperwork.
James Baldwin
James Baldwin packed up America in the 1940s and moved to Paris, France. He didn’t chase croissants. He chased quiet. Away from U.S. racism, Baldwin found room to think, argue with himself, and actually write. That distance sharpened his voice and powered some of his strongest work.
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