Ellen DeGeneres is being sued for negligence after a 2023 car crash in California. Per PEOPLE, a woman is claiming that on October 16, 2023, Ellen ignored a stop sign while driving in Santa Barbara County and "t-boned" her car. In the lawsuit, the "intersection [where the incident occurred] is controlled by stop signs in all directions." The plaintiff argues she stopped for her stop sign, "made sure there were no other vehicles present," and drove forward. She claims that the former talk show host "suddenly and without any warning" drove into her car, causing injury to the plaintiff.
The lawsuit states: "Ellen DeGeneres entered the intersection without stopping at the stop sign." It further accuses the comedian of exhibiting "negligent conduct [that] fell below the standard of care of a reasonable person," adding that she "negligently caused, or contributed to causing plaintiff's vehicle to be collided with by the defendants' vehicle."
The woman alleges she has suffered "multiple serious personal injuries and damages" after the accident, including wage loss and hospital and medical expenses. Further, she alleges she experienced "loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and anxiety." She is suing Ellen for general negligence and an undisclosed amount of compensatory damages. HELLO! has contacted Ellen's representatives for comment.
Ellen and her wife Portia de Rossi, 52, moved to the United Kingdom one year after the alleged car accident. The comedian revealed their decision to leave the U.S. was political. "We got here the day before the election," Ellen explained, referencing Trump's win."We woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, 'He got in.' And we’re like, 'We're staying here.'"
In August, the couple made news recently when they announced they were selling their estate in the English countryside. The couple bought the 43-acre property in Cotswolds in the spring of 2024 for $20 million. "When we decided to live here full time, we knew that Portia couldn't live without her horses," Ellen told The Wall Street Journal. "We needed a home that had a horse facility and pastures for them."
Portia shared snippets of their lives on the farm to Instagram, her riding horses and Ellen feeding their sheep. Ellen even shared a hilarious clip to her socials of those sheep entering their living room. "We have house sheep," Ellen wrote over the video, which showcased their home's stunning design including floor-to-ceiling sliding windows, a leather armchair and a stylish brown rug to complete the space.
The couple hasn't sold their house yet. The listing describes the estate: "Discreetly set at the end of a long private driveway, Kitesbridge Farm has been beautifully reimagined over the past year to an exceptional standard. The estate blends period character with sleek, modern design across 43 acres of rolling Cotswold countryside."