Eva Longoria has left the United States — and says she was glad to “escape.”
The “Desperate Housewives” star spent decades curating an impressive and award-winning acting career and had lived her “whole adult life” in California, but recently shared that “the vibe” there drastically changed during the late 2010s — and then only got worse.
“And then Covid happened, and it pushed it over the edge,” she told Marie Claire for a cover story interview published Wednesday. “Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to shit on California — it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now.”
Longoria said the recent presidential election confirmed she made the right decision with her current arrangement — in which she splits her time between Mexico and Spain with her husband, José Bastón, and their son, Santiago.
“I’m privileged,” the Screen Actors Guild Award winner continued. “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.”
Longoria had campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris in her race against former President Donald Trump.
“The shocking part is not that he won,” Longoria, who is of Mexican descent, told the outlet about his electoral victory last week. “It’s that a convicted criminal who spews so much hate could hold the highest office. If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place.”
Trump’s campaign included multiple xenophobic references to immigrants, including calling them “blood thirsty criminals,” saying they bring “bad genes” into the country, and vowing to deploy the military to institute a mass deportation of noncitizens.
VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images
The actor, who recalled being “depressed” when Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, said that was the first time she ever wondered if her vote even mattered — and a lesson that “the best person” doesn’t always triumph.
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Longoria started her acting career in 2000 with small parts in shows like “General Hospital,” then struck gold when she was cast in 2004 as one of the four “Housewives” for an eight-season run. The actor has since become a producer with an impressive eye for hits.
Longoria is certainly intent on continuing her work — helping produce TV series like NBC’s “Telenovela” and ABC’s “Grand Hotel,” in addition to the first “John Wick” film — even if she’s not based in the U.S.