EXCLUSIVEWhy Ellen DeGeneres was left fighting for marriage with Portia de Rossi and seeking a 'fresh start' in the UK
- READ MORE: Ellen DeGeneres shares heartfelt message to wife Portia de Rossi in 20th anniversary selfie after move to UK
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi had to ‘fight for so long’ to save their relationship and moved to the UK for a new start.
The TV host, 66 and the actress, 51, fled Hollywood earlier this year for an idyllic multi-million dollar farmhouse in the Cotswolds in a bid to ‘freshen things up’ after a tumultuous few years.
The couple, who recently celebrated their 20th anniversary, struggled after Ellen’s eponymous talk show was scrapped in 2022 following multiple accusations of toxic behavior.
‘Ellen and Portia have had their share of ups and downs and had to fight to make it work for so long,’ an insider told DailyMail.com.
‘Things have been very rocky ever since the show cancellation because, understandably, this shook Ellen. She went from being loved by everyone to the target for hatred.
‘She used to be the breadwinner, head of the household – and now she struggles to book work. They are not going to give up on each other just because there is a grey cloud looming. There is a lot of love left between them.’
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi had to ‘fight for so long’ to save their relationship and moved to the UK for a fresh start
The TV host, 66 and the actress, 51, fled Hollywood earlier this year for an idyllic multi-million dollar farmhouse in the Cotswolds in a bid to ‘freshen things up’ (pictured)
Ellen's career plummeted in the wake of the accusations on the set of her now defunct daytime talk show, which aired its last episode on May 26, 2022.
She delved into her persona non grata status on her stand-up special For Your Approval, which was released on Netflix in late September.
The comedian joked that she had been 'kicked out of showbusiness' in the special, which featured material about how she has been spending her time since wrapping up her TV show.
A second insider added: ‘They moved to the UK for a fresh start. It was a big step and will be a test of their relationship, but it was one that was needed.
‘Portia is interested in doing some theater, but mostly they are looking forward to spending their life together away from Hollywood.’
The couple recently moved into a picturesque 43-acre property after putting their $25million Montecito mansion on the market.
They have wasted no time in getting to know the locals in the quaint English hotspot and were last month pictured enjoying a night out at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog.
A source previously told DailyMail.com that Donald Trump's victory over Kamala Harris had cemented the couple's decision to quit the US for a new life in the UK after years of feeling rejected by fans and the industry.
‘Ellen and Portia have had their share of ups and downs and had to fight to make it work for so long,’ an insider told DailyMail.com
'She has the one person that still loves her, Portia, and she is ready to leave everyone who in her mind left her hanging out to dry,' they said. 'If she considers it her retirement, so be it.
'An enormous part of the US doesn't like her because of her sexual preferences, and others were turned off by her persona, which some perceived to be fake in the wake of the work place allegations.
'For Ellen, its easier to move away from her problems than to confront them. It seems like a sad end to what she once was in people's minds.'
Ellen paid tribute to her wife at the weekend when she shared a picture of them in their new surroundings in celebration of their 20th anniversary, and described their relationship as a 'long beautiful adventure.'
'You are the best thing that ever happened in my life,' she wrote on Instagram of Portia. 'You take care of me. You help me see the good in everything. You help to guide me and pick me up when I feel off or down. You are a beautiful soul that I am so very grateful to have as a partner to navigate this crazy life with.
'My wife. My best friend. The love of my life. Thank you for being you and loving me. So happy we get to travel and explore the world together in the next 20 years, and looking forward to our first snowy Christmas.'
The image came days after their new six bedroom property was swamped in a torrent of flood water following the devastating impact of Storm Bert.
They were left virtually marooned just days after moving into their new home after a tributary of the River Thames, which runs beside the property, broke its banks.
'They are not going to give up on each other just because there is a grey cloud looming,' the source said. 'There is a lot of love left between them’
It came after the area was battered by days of torrential rain and winds of up to 80mph.
Ellen later addressed the weather, and wrote: 'P.S. for those of you concerned, our farmhouse did NOT flood.'
The couple are among a growing number of celebrities who have quit the US for a life across the pond.
Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner, 28, told Harper's Bazaar that she realized she had to 'get the f**k out' of America because of gun violence and the overturning of Roe v Wade earlier this year.
America Ferrera was recently spotted looking at prospective schools in south west London, while Adele is reportedly on the hunt for a new home in the capital, with plans to spend half the year in her native UK as she is ‘homesick.’