Robin Wright, who many remember as Jenny in Forrest Gump, has decided to leave the United States and start a new life in England. She is 59 now and called the change both liberating and peaceful.
In an interview she explained her decision was pushed by what she saw as a chaotic lifestyle in America. She said: “America is a s**tshow. I love being in this country. There’s a freedom of self here. People are so kind. They’re living. They’re not in the car in traffic, panicked on a phone call, eating a sandwich. That’s most of America. Everything’s rush, competition, and speed.”
She is not alone in making this kind of move. Other well known names such as Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Rosie O’Donnell, Richard Gere, and Lena Dunham have all left America for other countries in recent years.
Wright met her partner Henry Smith after moving to England and said their first meeting at a pub felt like fate.
She said: “Henry was standing at the bar, 6 foot 2, and he put his pint down, came over to me, and grabbed my shoulders. He goes, ‘Who the f*** are you?’ And I said, ‘Who the f*** are you?’ And that was it.”
She admitted she has enjoyed being on her own before but at this stage in life she wants more. She said: “I’m turning 60 and I’m, like, ‘Is this it?’ I love being alone, and I’ve done that many times. But I’m, like, ‘I want to grow old with somebody, and travel and see the world.’”
Other celebrities have shared similar feelings. Rosie O’Donnell, who recently moved to Ireland with her daughter Dakota, pointed to the political climate under Donald Trump. She said: “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi also left just before the 2024 election and chose to stay after Trump’s victory. DeGeneres explained: “We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in.’ And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
She described their rural English life with excitement. She said it is beautiful and charming with a simpler way of living.
Ellen added, “It’s clean. Everything here is just better, the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here. We moved here in November, which was not the ideal time, but I saw snow for the first time in my life. We love it here. Portia flew her horses here, and I have chickens, and we had sheep for about two weeks.”
