The concept of Donald Trump in the White House has been enough to turn some celebrities away from living in the United States of America.
Celebrity endorsements bear plenty of weight around election times as stars encourage their fans to register and pledge their votes. Many celebrities have not been afraid to make their political views public, and quite a few have shared their dislike of the idea of a Trump presidency.
Which Celebrities Promised to Leave the US During Trump's Presidency?
It's an occurrence that's happened twice now, with Trump winning the U.S. presidency in 2016 and again in the 2024 election. But of the many celebrities who vowed to leave the U.S. during Trump's presidency, have any followed through?
Bryan Cranston
Breaking Bad and Your Honor star Bryan Cranston was outspoken about his disdain for Trump in the White House, claiming on the Bestseller Experiment podcast he would "definitely move" if Trump claimed office in 2016.
"Absolutely. I would definitely move. It's not real to me that that would happen. I hope to God it won't. It wouldn't be a vacation. I'd be an expatriate."
Cranston is yet to make said move, however, did tell IndieWire in 2023 that he plans to retire and move to France by 2026. This may end up being fast-tracked now that Trump is president once again.
Lena Dunham
Girls creator and star Lena Dunham told Andy Cohen (via The Hollywood Reporter) in 2016 that she would move to Canada if Trump was elected to office:
“I know a lot of people have been threatening to do this, but I really will. I know a lovely place in Vancouver and I can get my work done from there.”
However, when Trump was elected in 2016 Dunham opted not to move, saying in an Instagram post: “I can survive staying in this country, MY country, to fight and live and use my embarrassment of blessings to do what’s right."
Since 2021, Dunham has been living in London with her husband.
Ne-Yo
American R&B singer Ne-Yo joined the celebrities saying they would exodus the country during Trump's presidency, telling TMZ in 2016 that he would move to Canada "straight away."
"Me and Drake gonna be neighbors if Donald Trump becomes president. The unfortunate thing about this planet is that we are in no shortage of ignorance.
It appears the singer did not follow through on his vow as he bought a new home in Los Angeles and relocated there from Georgia in 2017, according to Architectural Digest.
Barbra Streisand
Singer and actress Barbra Streisand has vowed to leave the U.S. both times that a Trump presidency was in danger of coming to fruition. In a 60 Minutes interview in 2016, Streisand said she would move to Canada or Australia if Trump won.
While this never eventuated, Streisand reiterated her comments on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show in 2023, saying "I can’t live in this country if he becomes president." She added that England would be her ideal country to relocate this time around.
Raven-Symonè
In 2016, former The View co-host Raven-Symonè vowed on one episode of the show to move to Canada if a Republican was nominated for presidential office.
This eventuated in a joke segment on The View, which saw Raven-Symonè take ice hockey lessons from a Canadian to test if she would fit in. The actor never ended up moving as she began working on the That's So Raven spin-off Raven's Home in 2016.
Josh Gad
Josh Gad, star of Wolf Like Me and Frozen, posted in November 2016 on X (formerly Twitter) that he was "looking for a great realtor in Canada," hinting at his plans to exit the country following the election result. As of 2020, however, Gad still resided in his home in Los Angeles.
Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell, best known for her roles in the Scream franchise and more recently as a cast member on The Lincoln Lawyer, was considering returning to her home of Canada should Trump win the election in 2016.
“I’m terrified. It’s really scary. My biggest fear is that Trump will triumph.”
Campbell did not appear in many Hollywood projects between 2017 and 2022, so it's possible she returned home to Ontario during that time.
Miley Cyrus
In 2016, pop star and actress Miley Cyrus promised to leave if Trump became U.S. president. "I am moving if this is my president," she said in a post on her Instagram which has since been removed.
Cyrus did not move during Trump's 2016 presidency as she publicly spoke about her house in Malibu, which she shared with Liam Hemsworth at the time, burning down in the 2018 wildfires.
The singer purchased another Malibu home in recent years, so it's unclear if she will vacate it during Trump's second presidential term.
John Legend & Chrissy Teigen
Power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are two celebrities who admitted to Cosmopolitan they considering leaving the U.S. due to Trump's presidency. Legend said the following on the matter:
"Every once in a while you think about it. We were born and raised here, all of our families are here. It would be hard to leave. But I don’t know what one’s supposed to do when you have a leader who is trying to destroy democracy."
Legend was prominent in his support of Kamala Harris' campaign leading up to the 2024 election, so it's possible Trump's re-election could motivate Legend and Teigen to consider moving once again.
Chelsea Handler
Talk show host and comedian Chelsea Handler was outspoken about her determination to leave America should Trump win the election in 2016. During an appearance on Live With Kelly and Michael Handler said she'd even bought a house in another country "just in case:"
"I did buy a house in another country just in case, so all of these people that threaten to leave the country and then don’t, I will leave the country."
It appears that country was Spain as Handler claimed on her talk show, following Trump's win, that she "really, really want[ed] to move to Spain right now." The celebrity was eventually convinced otherwise saying she felt responsible to use her platform and voice in the U.S. to make a change.
George Lopez
Long-time comedian George Lopez told TMZ prior to the Trump campaign in 2015 that he would join the mass exodus of Americans following the Republican's win.
"If [Trump] wins, he won’t have to worry about immigration; we’ll all go back."
Lopez continued to work in Hollywood following Trump's election, including on his passion project with his daughter Lopez vs. Lopez, but did tell Deadline in October 2024 that he planned to retire from stand-up, which might indicate a move in the comedian's future, particularly after Trump's second win.
Amy Schumer
Comedian and actress Amy Schumer joined the tirade of celebrities vowing to flee America in 2016, telling the BBC she would be moving to Spain:
"My act will change because I'll need to learn to speak Spanish because I will move to Spain, or somewhere. It's beyond my comprehension if Trump won. It's too crazy."
Like many of the celebrities' promises, Schumer ended up staying in the U.S. despite Trump's election, living in Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Cher
Cher has vowed to flee America during both of Trump's presidential campaigns. Prior to the 2016 election, Cher said on social media she would move to Jupiter. While the singer didn't follow through on that promise, she reiterated her position to The Guardian in 2023, saying "This time I will leave [the country].”
