7 celebrities who have fled California, and why

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While many people enjoy living in California and can’t imagine calling anywhere else home, others are packing their bags and leaving it behind – including some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities.

Most recently, Mark Walberg announced that his family recently moved from California to Nevada. The actor and businessman said that his decision stems from him wanting to provide “a better life” for his children.

Walberg is married to model Rhea Durham and they have four children.

Joe Rogan

In 2020, T.V. show host and podcaster Joe Rogan announced his desire to leave California on his Spotify podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Rogan said he left Los Angeles mainly because it was “overcrowded.”

“I want to go somewhere in the center of the country… somewhere you have a little more freedom. I think where we live right here in Los Angeles is a little overcrowded… I think it’s exposing the fact that it’s a real issue when you look at the number of people that are catching COVID because of the overpopulation issue.” Rogan said on a podcast episode.

“When you look at the traffic, the economic disparity, the homelessness problem… I think there are too many people,” Joe said on his podcast.

In a tweet, Texas Gov. Greg Abbot announced that Rogan moved to Texas in 2020 and visited his home.

Rosario Dawson

Actress Rosario Dawson left California and moved in with her then-boyfriend, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, in 2020.

“I’m moving in with my boyfriend because, you know, it’s time. We were thinking about moving in together anyway. Still, especially during all of this, it’s just been really intense,” Dawson told filmmaker Kevin Smith about the move to the Garden State, NJ.com reported.

Unfortunately, Dawson and Booker broke up after dating for more than two years.

Busy Phillips

Marc Silverstein and Busy Philipp at a premiere

Actress Busy Phillips also decided to leave the Golden State for the Empire State in 2020 with her husband, screenwriter Marc Silverstein and their two children.

In an interview with Shondaland, Phillips said she wanted to move due to health concerns.

“I don’t know one f—ing person in Los Angeles who doesn’t have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It’s why we all give up gluten and wheat, but maybe it’s the toxicity of the city. I don’t know, just a theory,” Phillips said.

“When the fires started again, I just had this real lightning bolt moment where I turned to Marc and said, ‘We have to leave. We have to go to clean air.’”

Rob Schneider

In a tweet from 2020, SNL alum Rob Schneider announced that although he loves California, it was time for him to leave. He moved to Arizona.

“California, land of my birth and where all my children were born, I’ve spent all of my life in your beauty,” the tweet said. “So it is with much sadness that we have to part. But it is time to leave #CaliforniaYouBrokeMyHeart.”

In October 2022, Schneider explained the move on Fox and Friends.

“I really feel like I don’t want the Democratic Party trying to run my life. And there’s not one aspect of your life that they don’t want to interfere with. I had it with them,” Schneider said. “So I got out of California and moved to the slightly freer state of Arizona.”

Chris Hemsworth

“Thor” actor Chris Hemsworth decided to leave the Golden State with his family in 2015, citing that he didn’t need to be in Hollywood to land movie roles anymore.

The family moved to Hemsworth’s home country, Australia.

“We were in L.A. for six or seven years and then once we got the opportunity not to be there full-time, it was good to get back to Australia,” Hemsworth told the Daily Mail.

Reports state that he bought a $7 million property in Bryon Bay, Australia, to serve as his permanent residence.