Kristen Stewart says she might leave the US because making movies under Trump feels “Impossible”
Kristen Stewart has revealed she is seriously considering leaving the United States, saying her career is being held back under President Donald Trump and that it has become “impossible” to make films freely at home. The Twilight star shared her thoughts in a candid interview with British newspaper The Times, where she spoke openly about politics, creativity, and her future.
The 35-year-old actress, who grew up in Los Angeles and found fame as a child in Panic Room alongside Jodie Foster, said she wants to spend more time in Europe to develop her directorial work. She recently took a major step behind the camera with The Chronology of Water, a 2025 film she directed and produced. The project was shot in Latvia, something Stewart said was not just an artistic choice but a practical one. According to her, the film “would have been impossible to do in the United States” under the current climate.
Stewart also criticised Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on films made outside the US, calling the idea “terrifying” for the global film industry. She argued that the policy could undermine creativity and cross-border collaboration. “Reality is breaking completely under Trump, but we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in,” she said.
Although she currently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, Stewart suggested that could change soon. “I can’t work freely there, but I don’t want to give up completely. I’d like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people,” she added, making clear she still wants her work to reach audiences back home even if she builds her career elsewhere.
Trump announced in September that he would push for a 100 percent tariff on films made outside the United States. Writing on Truth Social, he claimed, “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby,’” before adding, “Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded bluntly on X, saying, “The Governor tried to explain this to Trump months ago when this was initially proposed that his actions will cause irreparable damage to the U.S. film industry. Today’s move is 100% stupid.”
If Stewart does choose to relocate, she would not be alone. Since Trump was reelected in November 2024, several high-profile celebrities have reportedly left the US, including Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Eva Longoria, Rosie O’Donnell, and Richard Gere.
Stewart has previously spoken about the challenges of getting her film made in America. In a 2024 interview with Porter Magazine, she explained why she chose to turn to Latvia. “It’s a fledgling film culture there. Look, I’m all about the way we make movies here [in the U.S.], but I needed a sort of radical detachment. I am not a director yet. I need to make a student film. I can’t do that here,” she said.
Her comments also revive a long-running public tension with Trump, dating back to the period when she was dating Robert Pattinson. During her highly publicised cheating scandal over a decade ago, Trump posted about the couple on social media, writing, “Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again, just watch. He can do much better!” He later added, “Everyone knows I am right that Robert Pattinson should dump Kristen Stewart. In a couple of years, he will thank me. Be smart, Robert.”
The news comes shortly after Stewart married her long-term partner, Dylan Meyer, in April. The couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles, surrounded by close friends and family.