From James Van Der Beek to Haylie Duff: A look at the stars who’ve left
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Los Angeles isn’t what it used to be for some celebrities as they continue to trade in the glitzy glamour for nature and open space.
Celebrities from James Van Der Beek to Haylie Duff have made the decision to relocate their families from California to areas near Texas.
The stars spoke about nature, feeling normal, being disconnected and having more space when discussing their reasons for the moves.
Here’s what they had to say:
James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek and his family moved to Texas in 2020.
(James Van Der Beek)
James Van Der Beek’s move to Texas has allowed the actor to prioritize spending time with his family and connecting to nature.
“We love it. We have a lot more space,” Van Der Beek told Fox News Digital. “We all need a more immediate connection to nature. It’s been a really, really great move, and the kids are really happy.”
Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly made the decision to move to Texas from Los Angeles in 2020. The “Rules of Attraction” star explained life has been “very different” so far.
“The parks have been amazing,” he told Fox News Digital. “We’ve been going to state parks and the national parks. It’s just one of the benefits of getting out of the big city was getting to a place where we could just have more space right outside our door. It’s a very, it’s a very different life.”
“We watch the sunset. We know what phase the moon is in. We can actually see stars, which is a new thing,” Van Der Beek said.
Haylie Duff
Haylie Duff, who grew up in Texas, moved her family to Austin, Texas, during the coronavirus pandemic.
(Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)
Haylie Duff, who grew up in Texas, made the decision to move back to the Lone Star State during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think so much of my fear of moving out of Los Angeles was that my career was there and that I would never work again or something like that,” she told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, I think this has all taught us that Zoom certainly can be a very powerful tool. And we can, you know, very luckily for me, get to continue to work from here, and I get to live near my dad, which I haven’t lived here (near) my dad in a really long time.
“And so there’s a lot of family here that I get to spend time with now that I didn’t before. And we love it. We’ve met great friends here, and we really landed in a great spot here.”
Duff opened up about how less traffic and getting outside more has changed the “quality of life” for her family, including her children. She’s also been able to balance a Hollywood career while living outside of Los Angeles.
“I’m very grateful that work opportunities have still been there for me,” she told Fox News Digital. “And I also am a big believer in God’s got your back. And so you make the right decision for your family, and he’s got it.”
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey
Texas native Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves McConaughey moved to Austin, Texas, in 2012.
(Getty Images)
Texas native Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves McConaughey moved to Austin, Texas, in 2012.
In April, Alves told Fox News Digital she and her family don’t mind living outside of Hollywood. They prefer it.
“It’s been great,” she said at the time. “It really embodies our belief system, especially the ones I grew up with, like going to church every Sunday, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no, sir.’ I grew up saying those things coming from a family of farmers. For me, being from Brazil and then coming to Texas, I discovered a lot of similarities in terms of what families practice here, especially going to church on Sundays and being very into the outdoors. It’s been a great transition.”
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Alves, whose mother-in-law moved in during the coronavirus pandemic, added, “We lived in Malibu for many years and having the paparazzi outside our door every day — every single day — when that becomes your normal, you don’t realize how much that’s actually affecting the things you do until you actually leave and get out of it.
“The kids get to have a private way of growing up. So from that perspective, it was very important.”
The McConaugheys recently visited Washington D.C., where the 51-year-old actor pleaded for responsible gun ownership in an emotional White House press briefing. Matthew McConaughey is a native of Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were killed by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos during a shooting at Robb Elementary on May 24.
Sandra Bullock
While Sandra Bullock doesn’t permanently live in Austin, Texas, she still owns a lakefront estate there that she purchased in 1997.
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