These overly-privileged Hollywood stars are losing their minds.
Hollywood actress Kristen Stewart is openly suggesting she may leave the United States, citing what she describes as a difficult creative climate during President Donald Trump’s current term.
In an interview with The Times, the former Twilight star said she is restructuring her career around Europe, explaining that she no longer feels she can work freely within the American film industry. Stewart indicated the move could be long-term rather than temporary.
Her first feature as a director, The Chronology of Water, was filmed in Latvia. Stewart said producing the film in the United States would not have been feasible, pointing to what she sees as growing restrictions and barriers for independent and experimental projects.
Stewart also voiced concern over President Trump’s proposal to impose steep tariffs on films produced outside the United States. Trump has argued that foreign governments and subsidies have pulled film production jobs away from American workers — a claim that resonates with supporters who say Hollywood has increasingly outsourced while benefiting from U.S. markets.
Calling the proposal alarming for the industry, Stewart argued that filmmakers may need to adapt by creating projects outside the traditional U.S. system. Critics, however, say such reactions reflect Hollywood’s resistance to accountability and domestic job protection.
Although Stewart maintains homes in Los Angeles and New York, she acknowledged that she may not remain in the United States indefinitely. While she said she does not plan to cut ties completely, Europe appears to be where she sees her creative future.
President Trump first floated the idea of a 100 percent tariff on foreign-made films last year, arguing that America’s movie industry has been hollowed out by overseas production. Writing on Truth Social, Trump blamed weak leadership in California for allowing film jobs to leave the country and said tariffs could help reverse the trend.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office criticized the proposal, warning it could hurt the industry. Supporters of the president counter that Hollywood has long relied on foreign tax breaks while publicly opposing economic nationalism.
At this time, the tariff proposal has not advanced into formal policy.
Stewart first announced The Chronology of Water in 2018 and struggled for years to secure production backing. She later explained that Latvia offered creative distance and fewer institutional barriers, describing the country’s film scene as smaller but more flexible than Hollywood.
Her relationship with Trump dates back more than a decade. During a widely publicized personal scandal involving Stewart and a film director, Trump commented publicly at the time, drawing attention to the episode long before his presidency.
More recently, Stewart has criticized the entertainment industry itself, describing it as hostile to women and independent voices. In a separate interview, she argued that entrenched systems and rules make it unnecessarily difficult for filmmakers to create honest work — comments that have drawn mixed reactions.
To many observers, Stewart’s remarks highlight the widening cultural divide between Hollywood and much of the country. While some celebrities threaten to leave the United States over politics or policy changes, Trump supporters argue that prioritizing American jobs and domestic production is long overdue — even if it upsets an industry that has spent years opposing him.
