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Actress Eva Longoria has clarified the reasons for leaving the United States, saying that while her decision was influenced by various factors, it was not due to President-elect Donald Trump’s political comeback.
Longoria, best known for her role on ‘Desperate Housewives’, made headlines this week after revealing that she and her family decided to leave the country due to what she described as a “dystopian” environment.
In a Marie Claire cover story published on November 13, the 49-year-old opened up about her decision to relocate with her husband Jose Baston and their six-year-old son Santiago from Los Angeles, splitting their time between Spain and Mexico.
“I would like to think our fight continues,” said Longoria, who actively campaigned this summer for President-elect Donald Trump’s rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The US “is a scary place,” she continued. “If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place,” Longoria said, apparently referring to Trump.
“I had my whole adult life here,” she told Marie Claire. “But even before [the pandemic], it was changing. The vibe was different. And then COVID happened, and it pushed it over the edge. Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to s**t on California – it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now.”
“I’m privileged,” she went on to say. “I get to escape and go somewhere. Most Americans aren’t so lucky. They’re going to be stuck in this dystopian country, and my anxiety and sadness is for them.”
Despite some interpreting her move as a response to the political climate, including the political rise of Donald Trump, Longoria said in a podcast on Friday that it was driven by a personal reflection on her life and the environment in which she raised her family, rather than a direct reaction to the political landscape.
“Will you please let them know I didn’t move out of the United States because of Trump?” she told Ana Navarro in a call to ‘The View: Behind the Table’ podcast on November 15.
“I’ve been in Europe for almost three years.” “I didn’t leave because of the political environment. I left because my work took me there.”
Although she acknowledged that leaving the US also means “being away from the constant 24-hour news cycle,” she said speculation that she relocated because of politics is “divisive.”
