Ellen DeGeneres is heading back to the United States – and sources tell RadarOnline.com TV’s “Queen of Mean” is doing so not for sunshine or social circles, but because she has worn out her welcome among her Cotswolds neighbors.
The former talk-show host, 67, and her actress wife, 52-year-old Portia de Rossi, whom she married in 2008, relocated to rural Oxfordshire a year ago after Donald Trump’s re-election, buying Kitesbridge Farm before later decamping to a hilltop mansion with equestrian facilities.
Why Is DeGeneres and Wife Portia de Rossi Returning to America?
DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, are said to be moving back to America.
DeGeneres, who said the move was prompted by fears about U.S. politics under Trump and a desire for quiet, has now told friends they will spend far more time in California.
The U-turn comes as residents in the area grow increasingly frustrated over building works, land changes, and what they describe as a strained relationship with one of the Cotswolds’ most high-profile transplants.
One local source familiar with the couple’s plans claimed, “Ellen has been saying, ‘We’re going back sooner than people think and it’s because of the weather,’ but it isn’t because she misses the sun. She is telling friends back home, ‘People here never warmed to us,’ but really she knows the neighbors don’t want her around.”
Another person close to the two claimed the tension with her neighbors has “worn down” DeGeneres.
Everyone Is ‘Annoyed’ at DeGeneres
The couple moved to the UK following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in 2024.
They added: “She is secretly thinking, ‘It’s impossible to feel settled when everyone is annoyed at you. She is tired of the complaints and feels judged wherever she goes. That’s a big part of why they’re leaving.”
DeGeneres and de Rossi originally attempted to embrace village life, visiting local pubs including The Farmer’s Dog in Burford and The Falkland Arms in Great Tew. Yet the reception was not warm. The couple were accused of committing a “technical breach” after adding a single-story extension to their $19million farmhouse, with the local parish council raising concerns about flood-risk changes and the possible disturbance of Roman remains.
Residents complained about hedging and fencing along the property line, claiming the structures could trap debris and redirect floodwater.
The couple’s neighbors have not warmed up to the stars, according to insiders.
A spokesperson representing DeGeneres told Daily Mail that the works were completed to a “high standard” and are more than 200 yards from the Roman remains.
But a neighbor said, “Ellen is famous, but that doesn’t give her a pass here. People felt she didn’t listen and was just another Hollywood star intent on doing what they wanted to the area. It created huge resentment.”
The pair placed their original 43-acre Swinbrook estate on the market in July for $27.5million before settling into their current property, which DeGeneres described by saying, “We needed a home that had a horse facility and pastures for them.”
DeGeneres and de Rossi are said to have caused a stir with locals after adding a single-story extension to their mansion.
DeGeneres and de Rossi have been living there with their dogs, Sport, Jinx, and Kid. DeGeneres, whose Netflix special For Your Approval included jokes about being pushed out of show business after her TV show collapsed amid bullying accusations and claims she created a toxic work environment, has spoken openly about retiring from comedy after her 2022 talk-show exit.
An insider said, “She’s now headed for another exit, from Britain, as she knows it didn’t work. It seems trouble follows her wherever she goes.”
Comedian Kevin T Porter tweeted in 2020, asking for people’s bad experiences with DeGeneres, whom he called “notoriously one of the meanest people alive.”
It led to her apologizing and making changes to her team before ultimately stepping back from her show to spend more time with de Rossi.
