Eva Longoria will not live in Donald Trump’s United States: ‘If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place’

Eva Longoria is leaving the United States. The 49-year-old Texan actress, born in Corpus Christi, has decided to spend most of her time outside the country, taking a stand against the new policies expected from President-elect Donald Trump. She shared this decision in an extensive interview with Marie Claire magazine, accompanied by a full photo session in Madrid. It is in the Spanish capital, along with Mexico, where Longoria now spends the majority of her time with her husband, businessman Pepe Bastón, and their son, Santiago.

The Desperate Housewives star has been dividing her time between Los Angeles (less and less) and Mexico and Spain for months. However, her decision to stay abroad now feels much more deliberate and politically motivated, as she makes clear in the interview. She explains that her activism is no longer compatible with Trump’s vision for the country. The interview took place a few weeks before the elections, during which Longoria — an influential public figure, director, screenwriter, actress, activist, and philanthropist, described by The Washington Post as a “political power broker” for her tireless work to mobilize Latinos and women in favor of the Democrats — recalls the deep personal impact of Trump’s 2016 win.

“I’ve never been depressed in my life,” she recalled. “It was like, ‘Does my vote really matter? Am I really making a difference?’ I was so untethered to the core of what I believe because I truly believed in my soul that the best person wins. And then that happened, and I was like, ‘Oh, wait. The best person doesn’t win.’”

Longoria admits that most of her work now takes place in Spain and Mexico, sometimes in other countries across Europe and Latin America, and that she no longer works as much in Hollywood. She previously described the industry there as a “patriarchal system,” and admits that she no longer misses it.

“I had my whole adult life here,” she reflected on Los Angeles, the city she moved to in her early twenties to pursue a career in entertainment. “But even before [the pandemic], it was changing. The vibe was different. And then Covid happened, and it pushed it over the edge. 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.”

She acknowledges that not everyone has this option. “I’m privileged,” she said. “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.”

For the 2024 campaign, the Texan actress — whose family has lived in the increasingly Republican southern state for nine generations — attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last summer and rallied behind the ticket formed by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

This time, the outcome of the election did not surprise her as much, as she explains to the magazine just two days after Trump’s victory: “The shocking part is not that he won. It’s that a convicted criminal who spews so much hate could hold the highest office.”

Echoing Harris’s sentiments in her first speech after the elections, Longoria adds: “I would like to think our fight continues.” She also shares her fears for the United States. “If he keeps his promises, it’s going to be a scary place,” she said, referring to Trump.

Longoria has spent increasing amounts of time outside her native country. In early 2023, she purchased a mansion in the Spanish city of Marbella, a picturesque town on the Málaga coast known for its pleasant weather, luxury shops, and its long-standing appeal to the global jet set. A few months ago, she listed her Beverly Hills home for sale and decided to spend more time in Spain.

In an interview with EL PAÍS last June, she revealed that she, her husband, and their son, Santiago, now spend most of their time in Bastón’s native Mexico. “He was born in Los Angeles,” she explained of their son, “but we live in Mexico,” adding that summers are typically spent in Marbella. “I love this country. I first visited Marbella 20 years ago, and it was love at first sight. I started thinking about buying a house here five years ago and have been looking for one ever since,” she told ¡Hola! magazine.

“When I’m in Los Angeles, I’m always working and very busy,” she continued. “I associate Spain with holidays. When I’m here, I don’t have a schedule. I go to the beach with my son... It’s a slower pace of life, but very fulfilling.”

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