Comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, seem to be embracing a festive Cotswolds Christmas, complete with a brand-new furry family member, contradicting recent reports of an imminent escape from the British winter back to sunny California.
A Soggy Start to a British Dream
The high-profile couple, who married in 2008, relocated to the English countryside just over a year ago, seeking refuge from what they once termed the ‘perils’ of Donald Trump’s America. They arrived the day before the 2020 US election. Their initial foray into UK country living, however, was abruptly dampened when their $15 million Oxfordshire home, Kitesbridge Farm in Swinbrook, was surrounded by floodwater shortly after moving in, forcing a temporary retreat.
Undaunted by the aquatic setback, the pair soon upgraded to a sleek $25 million hilltop property, a sprawling mansion with ample land for de Rossi’s horses—a stated necessity for the avid rider. This estate is a far cry from their flooded first home and more reminiscent of their former ultra-luxe residences in Montecito and Malibu.
Festive Snaps Hint at a Cotswolds Christmas
Despite The Mail on Sunday reporting last week that the couple planned to ‘flee the UK altogether’ over the cold, gloomy weather and spend the holidays stateside, de Rossi’s recent Instagram activity suggests otherwise. She shared a series of cozy holiday snaps, offering rare glimpses of family, including her seldom-seen brother Michael Rogers, his wife Casey, and their daughters, during a ‘Family visit in the Cotswolds…’.
Most heartwarming among the posts was the introduction of a new, unnamed puppy to their canine clan. The December arrival joins their dog Sport, a puppy welcomed in October, with the two four-legged friends shown bonding closely. De Rossi cheekily captioned the puppy carousel ‘Lady and the Tramp’, indicating the couple are settling into their rural life, at least for the festive season.
The Enduring Pull of California Sunshine
Nevertheless, sources indicate the allure of California remains powerful. A source told The Mail on Sunday that DeGeneres has privately told friends they plan to spend more time in the US because they ‘miss their friends’ and dread facing another British winter. The source added that de Rossi also wishes to resume acting.
‘Ellen was adamant that she and Portia were going to stay in the UK while Trump was in the White House, but evidently she's changed her mind somewhat,’ the source claimed. However, a source close to the presenter later denied that any potential move back to America would be permanent.
The couple have been spotted enjoying local Cotswolds life, visiting pubs like Jeremy Clarkson’s Farmer’s Dog in Burford and The Falkland Arms in Great Tew. Furthermore, property records reveal the couple’s deep family ties, having loaned millions to their respective brothers to help purchase luxury homes in California over the years.
In 2015, they assisted DeGeneres’s brother, Vance, with a $1,439,000 home in Sherman Oaks. They were reportedly even more generous in May 2019, loaning de Rossi’s brother Michael and his wife Casey nearly the full $4.9 million purchase price for a Santa Barbara home with a pool. Michael Rogers is the co-founder of the art company General Public.
For now, while there is still time to jet off for winter sun, DeGeneres and de Rossi appear content soaking up the Cotswolds cheer with their expanding pet family, leaving their long-term transatlantic plans intriguingly unresolved.
