Kristen Stewart has offered a blunt and unsettling view of her future in the United States, saying she feels that “reality is breaking” under the current political climate.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the Oscar-nominated actress reflected on how shifting politics and culture in America are affecting the film industry—changes she believes are beginning to restrict her ability to work creatively.
When asked whether she sees herself continuing to live in the US, Stewart, who divides her time between Los Angeles and New York, implied that a departure may already be taking shape.
She pointed directly to Donald Trump’s administration, saying she no longer feels free to work as a filmmaker in the country. “Probably not,” she said of staying. “I can’t work freely there.”
Despite this, Stewart stressed that she doesn’t intend to cut ties with American audiences altogether. Instead, she hopes to create films abroad and bring them back on her own terms. “I don’t want to disappear completely,” she said. “I’d rather make movies in Europe and then force them back into the American conversation.”
Her remarks come amid controversy surrounding Trump’s September 2025 proposal to impose a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the US—an effort to curb the outsourcing of film jobs. The announcement sent shockwaves through Hollywood, which heavily depends on international locations for both independent and large-scale productions.
Stewart described the proposal as “terrifying,” warning it could leave filmmakers with little choice but to work overseas if they want to continue making films.
Her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water—based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir—was filmed in Latvia. Stewart said shooting the project in the US would have been “impossible.”
She summed up her feelings bluntly: “Reality is completely falling apart under Trump. But maybe we need to do what he does—create the reality we want to live in.”
Stewart’s strained relationship with Trump dates back well before his political career. In 2012, he repeatedly criticized her online during the public fallout from her affair with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders, while she was dating Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson.
Trump posted numerous messages urging Pattinson to leave her, calling Stewart unfaithful and insisting he “could do much better.”
Looking back, Stewart described the episode as “insane.” Speaking to Variety during the Sundance Film Festival on Trump’s inauguration day, she recalled, “He was weirdly obsessed with me. It was completely crazy—I still don’t understand it.”
Online reaction to Stewart’s recent comments was swift and polarized. Critics accused her of being an out-of-touch Hollywood elite playing the victim while remaining shielded from real-world consequences.
Others mocked her remarks, encouraging her to leave and questioning whether she would actually follow through. Some accused her of virtue signaling and showing contempt for everyday Americans.
More neutral voices acknowledged her right to leave but doubted she would. “They always threaten to go but never do,” one commenter wrote.
If Stewart does relocate, she would join a growing list of celebrities—including Rosie O’Donnell, George Clooney, and Robin Wright—who have pursued citizenship or long-term residence outside the United States.
Still, many online reactions remained skeptical, summing up her remarks with a collective eye roll.
