9 Celebs Who Have Left Los Angeles During the Pandemic

Living through a pandemic can put a lot of things in perspective and for some, that means changing up the place they call home.

With much of the entertainment industry still shut down or working remotely, many celebs are choosing to move away from the City of Angels while their work is on hold. These moves are taking them all across the world, from the beautiful beaches of Australia to a farm in rural Pennsylvania.

Their decisions to relocate come as many stars realize they don’t have to live in Hollywood to audition for parts or collaborate on projects. Settling down elsewhere allows them to be closer to family, have a little more space, and test out some other passions – all things people have realized the importance of amid the pandemic.

Find out which celebs have relocated over the past few months…

1. Zac Efron

Before the pandemic hit, Zac Efron took a trip down under… and then decided to stay! Zac has been living in Byron Bay for “months,” with his rep telling The Daily Telegraph that the actor is “not there for work.” Zac even reportedly cancelled his flight back home after his request to extend his visa was approved by the Department of Home Affairs.

Beautiful beaches and great swells aside, Zac also found himself an Aussie girlfriend. The “Baywatch” star has been spotted out with aspiring model Vanessa Valladares after meeting at the cafe where she works. All signs point to Zac making a permanent move to Australia.

2. Kate Walsh

Kate Wash also took a pre-COVID trip to Australia but landed on the west coast. Kate traveled to Perth in early 2020 for a short trip and fell in love with the area. When she found out it wasn’t possible for her to travel home to the United States because of the pandemic, she didn’t mind and decided to stay as long as possible. In fact, she wants to bring the film industry to Western Australia.

“I have to say, I love it. I really love Perth. I love the city, I love the people and I feel very, very fortunate, obviously, to have quarantined there and be in WA during this kind of crazy time in the world,” Kate told honey.

She added, “One of the first thoughts I had when I looked around Perth was, ‘Why aren’t we shooting movies and television here?’…Then as I started meeting people in Screenwest and independent producers and crew members and directors and writers and local politicians and everything, I understood that it’s because there aren’t stages built. So I’ve been quite passionate and vocal about trying to get that happening. To have a proper studio, so we have access to some of the great international productions that are coming to Australia at large now.”

3. Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton

During the pandemic, Gwen Stefani and her three children headed to Blake Shelton’s 1,200-acre ranch in Oklahoma, where they remained until late July. While they had to return to LA for various commitments, Blake says he’s grateful for the extended amount of time they got to spend there.

“Like everybody else in the world, just pulled the plug on [our plans] and went to Oklahoma. It was cool because Gwen — the time that she spent in Oklahoma over the years has been like a week here, a week there. But she got to be there and actually see it go from pretty much winter, to spring, to summer, and see some seasons change. And it’s actually the first time that I’ve been able to be there for that long to see all that happen again. So we loved it,” Blake said on “The Ellen Show.”

4. James & Kimberly Van Der Beek

James Van Der Beek and his family recently decided to pack up, leave LA and head to Texas. James and his wife Kimberly, along with their five children and two newly adopted puppies, traveled on a 10-day road trip to get to their new home where they hope to discover a little more nature.

“I think we’re in a time right now where people are wanting to ground themselves a little bit more into nature. And L.A. has been a magical place for many years for me. So much life has been lived here. I’m going to go through a process to leave,” Kimberly said on “The Make Down” podcast.

5. Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman decided to leave the U.S. behind during the pandemic, heading back to their home in Australia, which was under a strict lockdown. Their move down under was met with some criticism because thousands of Australian citizens have not been able to re-enter the country due to the travel ban and quarantine procedures. Not only were the couple and their children allowed to enter the country, but were also given special permission to quarantine at home instead of a government-mandated hotel.

Nicole’s publicist fought back against the critics, telling The Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney, “It’s absolute garbage. She is paying for all her own security and following all the rules, they are in isolation.”

6. Gigi Hadid

When the world went into lockdown, Gigi Hadid decided to move to her family’s farm in rural Pennsylvania. Gigi was joined by her boyfriend Zayn Malik, her mom Yolanda and younger sister Bella. The family also received some occasional visits from youngest family member Anwar and his girlfriend Dua Lipa.

“The farm has really made me remember, and bring back to my life, my most simple pleasures,” Gigi told Harper’s Bazaar.

While most of the family has returned to their regular home base, Gigi, Zayn and Yolanda have remained on the farm. Gigi even reportedly gave birth to her daughter at home!

7. Joe Rogan

Infamous podcast host Joe Rogan recently relocated to Texas, citing the overcrowded nature of Los Angeles.

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

He continued, “Every mayor does a s–t job of doing it because I don’t think anybody could do a great job of it. I think there’s certain things you’re gonna have to deal with when you have a population of whatever the f–k L.A. is.”

8. Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to Los Angeles in early 2020 but quickly decided the city wasn’t the right place for their family. In July, they moved out and relocated 100 miles north to Santa Barbara.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year. They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family,” a rep for the couple said in a statement.

An insider said that the couple love the “magic” of Santa Barbara, adding, “Archie is really happy, and he has some space to run free…They’re excited to be there and to become part of the community. It’s a really happy time for them as a family.”

9. Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson made a big move cross country in August. The actress decided to pack up her life to be closer to her boyfriend Senator Cory Booker, who she had been separated from for most of the pandemic.

“I haven’t seen him since February. He is by himself, going between Newark and DC. I’m actually in the process of moving… I’m going to New Jersey. I’m moving to Newark… It’s time. We were thinking about moving in together anyway. But especially during all of this, it’s been really intense,” Rosario said in an interview with Kevin Smith.