It's not easy raising kids in Hollywood — after all, celebrities end up getting hounded by paparazzi cameras just about every time they leave the house, so it's not always an ideal situation for their children either. Though it's often necessary to live near Los Angeles for career opportunities, some celebrities have chosen to flee the area (and sometimes even the state) for more privacy to raise their children. Lately, it seems like that choice is becoming more and more common.
For these celebrities, there's likely something very appealing about living off of the radar — or at least with a bit more privacy than they'd be afforded if they lived and spent the majority of their time in LA.
Here are 15 celebrities who ditched Hollywood in favor of raising their families elsewhere — perhaps with a bit more privacy. We can't blame anyone for wanting to give their kids as normal of a childhood as they can provide, even if sometimes that means growing up on a giant, secluded ranch in Montana.
Ryan Gosling & Eva Mendes
Considering how private Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are about their children, it's no surprise that they've decided to leave Los Angeles to continue raising them. In early January 2022, news broke that Ryan and Eva had sold their Los Angeles home amid rumors that they're planning on moving to Ryan's native Canada with daughters Esmeralda and Amada.
Katherine Heigl
After years of starring in Grey's Anatomy and cranking out rom-coms, Katherine Heigl and husband Josh Kelley have taken their kids, Naleigh, Joshua, and Adalaide, out of Hollywood. Today, the family lives in Utah, far from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.
Haylie Duff
Hilary Duff is still in California, but her big sister, Haylie, has chosen to make an exit. In 2021, she and partner Matt Rosenberg (along with kids Lulu and Ryan) packed up and moved to Austin, Texas, where they're originally from.
"Yeah we're out in the Hill Country, and so we're a little outside of town, which is nice, but I've also learned about creepy-crawly things that I did not know about before, like spiders and scorpions and all kinds of things that you deal with living out in the Hill Country, but Austin has some of the greatest restaurants, so we've really been exploring in town quite a bit too," she told Nicki Swift.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
When Haylie Duff made the big move to Austin, she was joined by The Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In fact, the two friends (along with Glee's Becca Tobin) were so ready for a change that they made a pact to relocate to Austin together. Recently, Jamie-Lynn's gorgeous new home was showcased in Architectural Digest — it sure looks like you get a lot more bang for your buck in Texas!
Chris Hemsworth & Elsa Pataky
Chris Hemsworth might be known as Thor, but when he's not filming a Marvel movie (or anything else for that matter), he's not even living on the same continent as California. Instead, he and wife Elsa Pataky live in Australia with their three kids, India, Tristan, and Sasha.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts and husband Danny Moder have three children together (Hazel, Phinnaeus, and Henry), but we'd never know it because they all stay so far out of the spotlight. That's probably because Julia and her family now live on a ranch in New Mexico, though they do have other homes around the country (including in California).
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban
Considering the fact that Keith Urban is a major country star, it's no surprise that he and Nicole Kidman opted to live in Tennessee. Nicole, Keith, and daughters Sunday and Faith live in Nashville, and their mansion is pretty impressive. Plus, there's no denying the cost of living is definitely lower there.
Shenae Grimes
Former 90210 and Degrassi: The Next Generation star Shenae Grimes and her husband, Josh Beech, are no longer residents of LA, either. In 2020, they moved to a Nashville suburb, and on YouTube, Shenae explained that she wanted to live somewhere that put less "pressure" on her.
James Van Der Beek
Dawson's Creek alum James Van Der Beek and his wife, Kimberly, have a huge family — they have six children, including an infant who was born at the end of 2021. Now, they live in Austin, mostly for the benefit of their little ones. "We wanted to get the kids out of Los Angeles. We wanted to give them space and we wanted them to live in nature," he told Austin Life.
Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds do everything they can to avoid putting their children in front of the camera — including establishing a home base somewhere far away from LA. They live in Pound Ridge, New York, on more than 11 acres, including a barn and a house with seven bedrooms and six bathrooms, according to Hello! magazine.
Sandra Bullock
When she's not filming a movie, Sandra Bullock may be hanging out in one of her residences around the country, but it seems she may spend the most time at her house in New Orleans. There, she lives with her partner, Bryan Randall, and her kids Louis and Laila.
Kelly Clarkson
Though Kelly Clarkson does have a Los Angeles home for when she's filming The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show, her main home base is in Montana. She lives in a cabin called Vintage Valley, and according to Life & Style, the home was awarded to her in her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.
Ali Fedotowsky
Add this former Bachelorette star to the list of celebrities who have ditched California for Tennessee. In early 2021, she and husband Kevin Manno (along with kids Riley and Molly) moved to Nashville. Though she felt hesitant about the decision at first, she later told People, "Now I can tell we totally made the right choice and I know we're going to love it here."
Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel usually avoid the cameras, which is probably pretty easy to do when they're living outside of Los Angeles in one of their homes in New York, Montana, and most recently, Tennessee.
"They made the decision to get out of Los Angeles and take some time away and they're both so happy they did," a source told Us Weekly. "They both prefer the country life. It's great for the boys because they have so much space and freedom."
Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner
After welcoming their daughter, Willa, in 2020, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner made the decision to buy a home in Miami after selling their mansion in Encino, California, in 2021. Now the family is living in a beachfront property, which has to be a lot of fun for their daughter.
