by Giovana Gelhoren
Entertainment Writer
Although fame looks quite enticing from the outside, from the fabulous red carpets to the mega-mansions, many celebrities have proven over the years that being famous is not all it’s cut out to be. In fact, many stars have moved far away from Hollywood since becoming a star.
And while each of the stars has a different reason to leave, be it trying to get away from the limelight, chasing a love who lives somewhere else, or wanting to star a family in a calmer environment, many stars, including George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lenny Kravitz and Tina Turner, have taken fans by surprise and moved outside the country.
Clooney, for example, first bought a house in Lake Como, Italy, in 2002, years before meeting his wife, Amal Clooney, per Architectural Digest. Most recently, the actor even refuted the reports he’s planning to move away from his multi-million dollar Mediterranean mansion. “The first I heard of it was when Page Six published the story,” he said recently, per House Beautiful. “Everyone picked it up. It’s not true.” Looks like his Italian roots are firmly planted!
To check out more stars with foreign addresses, scroll below!
In late 2021, Canadian-American actress Pamela Anderson said “I do” to her now-ex-husband Dan Hayhurst in her grandparent’s former farmhouse Vancouver Island, Canada. After their nuptials, Anderson then moved out of Hollywood and in with Hayhurst in the same house. “I’m exactly where I need to be — in the arms of a man who truly loves me,” Anderson told Daily Mail, per The Things. “This is where my parents were married and they are still together. I feel like I’ve come full circle.”
“I always pictured that I would live here at the end of my life, for retirement. So that was a surprise,” she told Hello! Canada. “But you know, my kids are grown and my parents are getting older. So I just felt like it was time to come home.” In 2022, Anderson and Hayhurst called it quits.
Years before George Clooney got married and began his family with Amal, the actor was already planting his roots away from Hollywood in Lake Como, Italy. In 2002, he purchased Villa Oleandra, an impressive 18th century home with a whopping 25 rooms for $7 million, per Architectural Digest.
While plenty of her career has happened while Janet Jackson was living in the States, her plans took a turn in 2010 when she met her ex-husband, Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. During their time together until their split in May of 2017, Jackson moved to the Middle East, where the two began their family.
According to sources, however, the move wasn’t all that she’d hoped. “[Jackson] felt hidden from family and friends,” a source told Us Weekly. “Her life was sheltered.”
After going through a rollercoaster career in Hollywood, Lindsay Lohan relocated to Dubai in 2014 to be with her husband, Bader Shammas. According to Hello!, Lohan and the financier now live in a four-bedroom, 7,00 square-foot villa overlooking Kite Beach with their 1-year-old son Luai. “I wanted a beautiful and relaxed home for me and my family,” she told National News.
Back in 1995, legendary singer Tina Turner packed her bags and moved accross the world to Zurich, Switzerland, with her husband, German music executive Erwin Bach, CBS News reports. “I have left America because my success was in another country and my boyfriend was in another country,” she once told Larry King, per CNN. “Europe has been very supportive of my music.”
While not every star is born in the United States, it’s safe to say it’s the go-to place for everyone trying to make it big, right? For Colombian singer Shakira, that wasn’t necessarily the case. In fact, while still with her ex Gerard Piqué, the singer moved to Barcelona, Spain, to support his career.
After their split last year, however, Shakira decided to move stateside and was even reportedly eyeing some multi-million dollar properties in Fisher Island, located in Miami, Florida.
While married to her ex-husband Guy Ritchie, Madonna made her first move away from the United States to establish their new life in London, England. While the two initially shared a two-bedroom flat, Madonna and Ritchie soon upgraded to a $12.23 million Ashcombe House in Wiltshire, England in 2001, per Architectural Digest.
Then, in 2017, long after her marriage to Ritchie came to an end, Madonna once again relocated to Portugal to support her son David Banda’s football career as he began playing in the Benfica youth academy, per Hello!. It’s believed the singer still splits her time between all three places.
While she may be the Queen of Country, Shania Twain reportedly spends most of her time far away from the country south. In fact, according to Hello!, the singer lives most of the time in her lavish Lake Geneva, Switzerland, property. “”It’s a very beautiful region, very scenic,” she once said, per the outlet.
Earlier this year, Johnny Depp revealed he’s moved away from the hussle and bustle of Hollywood to live lavish 12-bedroom mansion in Somerset, England. “I just love places with character,” he told Somerset Life. “I have various houses in various places and they all mean something special to me. I don’t have them just to say I own them, I have them for use and because they are a bit special.”
After spending an unexpected six months living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a music around the country, Lenny Kravitz fell in love. “I’d never felt more calm, peaceful, and closer to God,” Kravitz told Architectural Digest. “It was a magical time. I thought, I’m done with the hustle and the bustle. I’m going to be a farmer.”
As a result, the singer then purchased a 19th-century Portuguese colonial-style villa spanning 1,000 acres which he fully remodeled.
The late Angela Lansbury also opted for a life outside the spotlight. In the 1970’s, the actress moved to Cork, Ireland, with her husband, Peter Shaw, and their kids. ““Angela would never see herself as a star, she just likes putting on her wellies, walking down to the shop and getting a pint of milk or whatever,” a source told the Irish Examiner. “She is a very ordinary person who likes to be just that. The fact that she has this amazing talent and success is kind of by the way.”
Like many other stars in this list, Gwyneth Paltrow moved for love when she was married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. According to Architectural Digest, the two bought a $4.1 million home in North London during their relationship. Ten years later, shortly after their “conscious uncoupling” announcement, Martin and Paltrow sold the house for a hefty profit of $11.5 million, per Page Six.
Actor Josh Lucas opened up 2019 about uprooting his family to Bali, Indonesia, for the sake of his son Noah’s education. “We came across this school called Green School Bali, and Green School has this amazing tagline … to create the next generation of environmental leaders,” Lucas told Jimmy Kimmel Live!, per People.
“I have this very special 7-year-old child, and I think all of us are trying to figure out how to have an impact in the world, and for myself, the best thing I could do is give my son this extraordinary experience,” he added. “Being on the other side of the world and looking back at this madness is amazing.” How incredible!
The stories you care about, delivered daily.
SheKnows is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 SheMedia, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
