As the 2024 presidential election results roll in, many celebrities are reacting passionately to Donald Trump’s election victory, with some big names even reviving an old Hollywood trope: the threat to leave the U.S. if the result wasn’t in their favor. From Sharon Stone considering a move to Italy to Barbra Streisand contemplating England, these stars have voiced their disapproval of the new president-elect, echoing a sentiment that has historically surfaced in American celebrity culture every election cycle.
Sharon Stone, in an interview with the “Daily Mail”, expressed her discontent, describing Trump’s campaign as something she’d never seen in her lifetime, adding, “I am certainly considering a house in Italy.” Meanwhile, Cher made her displeasure clear in a 2023 “Guardian” interview, saying, “If he gets in, who knows? This time I will leave [the country].” Streisand shared a similar sentiment on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, admitting she’d likely leave the country if Trump became president.
Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, addressed this trend in an interview with “Fox News Digital”, noting that celebrity threats to “flee” the country post-election are nothing new. “Every four years, you hear the same recycled rhetoric from celebrities. It’s become a running joke at this point. It’s ‘all talk, no walk,’” Eldridge said, pointing out how similar promises were made in 2016 by stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Miley Cyrus, and Amy Schumer, who all stayed put despite their dramatic declarations.
In 2016, Miley Cyrus famously proclaimed on Instagram that her “heart is broken into a 100000 pieces” and threatened to leave if Trump won. After his victory, however, she remained in the U.S., posting a tearful video on social media to accept the results and plead with Trump to “treat people with love.” Similarly, Schumer, who had joked about moving to Spain, later downplayed her remarks, explaining they were “in jest.”
While Eldridge believes these celebrity statements won’t impact their careers in Hollywood, he points out that their fan appeal could take a hit. “Politically speaking, Hollywood has always been a bastion of liberal ideology,” he said, “but the ‘fan base variable’ will likely become increasingly more relevant on the other side of this election.”
Eldridge suggests that while Hollywood’s casting decisions may not shift, the public might be less forgiving to celebrities who voiced strong opposition against Trump and “put their thumb on the scale” during the campaign. He adds that although the industry might be unaffected, a celebrity’s “Q score and box-office marketability” are closely tied to fan sentiment, which could change after such outspoken political statements.
Barbra Streisand reacts to Trump victory. pic.twitter.com/UI4UZBMl9F
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 6, 2024
On social media, responses to the election were equally polarized. Christina Applegate took a strong stance, asking followers who voted “against female rights” and “disability rights” to unfollow her. Mandy Moore encouraged her fans to acknowledge the intense feelings of “grief, disbelief, anger, and fear,” advising her followers to take care of themselves and each other in the days to come.
Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan, a known Trump supporter, shared a call for unity, writing, “Believe it or not, brother, we’re more alike than we are different… It’s time to come together, talk with our neighbors and focus on what unites us.”
As the nation processes the results, Eldridge believes celebrities who feel strongly about the outcome could make a powerful impact by encouraging Americans to come together. “Whether you supported him or not, it’s time for all of us to come together as a country,” he said. In a time marked by deep division, a call for unity might resonate far more than the idea of heading overseas.
