Stars Who Ditched Hollywood To Make Their Partners Happy

When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, gave up her budding Hollywood career to marry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, no one was surprised. After all, how could she represent the British royal family and act in Los Angeles at the same time? However, she is not the only celebrity who chose their partner over Hollywood.

Many Hollywood celebrities have abandoned their careers for a normal life. This happens for a variety of reasons, from getting tired of acting to choosing family over fame. Some actors did it to make their partners happy, and — in Jane Fonda's case — moved back once the relationship fizzled out. No matter the reason, these actors decided that a happy relationship made for a better life than an unpredictable career in entertainment.

These celebrities have been incredibly open about their choices for a more private life — and have even shared what their lives look like now (hint: most of them are very happy in their new homes).

When Richard Gere got married to wife Alejandra Silva in 2018, he made a compromise: that one day he would live in Spain with her. The couple, who share kids Alexander, born in 2019, and James, born in 2020, moved in 2024.

"My wife is Spanish and she gave me about seven years here, so we're going to spend some years in Madrid," he said in a November 2024 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." He added, "Our kids are bilingual, so they're going to flourish there." Their life in Silva's home country has been great, according to Gere. "The truth is, you're seeing us in our prime. We're happier than ever," Gere told Elle España in January 2025. "She's happy because she's home, and I'm happy because if she's happy, I'm happy."

He is also a philanthropist; he and his wife help people through the Gere Foundation. Gere and Silva have won multiple awards for their environmental and humanitarian work, including the Human Rights First Visionary Award in 2025. "Our purpose is to care for the environment, from the mountains to the sea, to restore the ecosystem and the oceans," Gere told Elle España. "True sustainability isn't measured solely by the environment, by what surrounds us, but by the lives of the people who inhabit it."

Back in the '90s, Jane Fonda took a break from acting after marrying then-husband Ted Turner. The "Coming Home" star was married to Turner from 1991 to 2001, and she decided to give up acting because of him. In a January 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Fonda reflected on that time. "I left for 15 years, when I married Ted Turner, and I did not think I was gonna come back, 'cause when I married him, I thought it'd be forever," the "80 for Brady" star told the outlet. "But I came back, and frankly ... I feel very lucky."

Later, Fonda clarified why she briefly retired from acting before returning with 2005's "Monster in Law." It turns out, it wasn't all to do with her husband. "I quit the business not just because I married Ted, but because I wasn't having fun anymore," Fonda told Vogue in February 2025. "I thought I was never gonna act again because I really didn't miss it." She said that the break — and the opportunity to act alongside Jennifer Lopez — changed her mind about wanting to act again. Since then, she's starred in hits like "Book Club," "Grace and Frankie," and "The Comeback."

When Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, started dating in 2016, Meghan was at the height of her "Suits" fame. However, when they decided to get married, Meghan gave up her Hollywood life to become a working royal with her husband in the U.K. (even though she is still loyal to her old "Suits" co-stars). "I don't see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It's a new chapter," Meghan told BBC in November 2017 about leaving acting behind. She turned to Harry and added, "Now it's time to work as a team with you," referring to the humanitarian work they wanted to focus on.

While getting engaged to Harry may have been the catalyst for Meghan to leave Hollywood, it wasn't the only reason. A source told E! News in March 2017 that Meghan had been thinking about giving up acting anyway. "Even before Harry, she was starting to think about transitioning out of acting," the insider told the outlet. "She wants to focus on other worldly endeavors she is passionate about, like her philanthropy." 

Even though Meghan and Harry stepped down from being working royals in 2020, they have continued giving back to others and even won the Project Healthy Minds' Humanitarians of the Year Award in 2025 for their work through The Archewell Foundation.

Christina Milian first rose to fame in the early 2000s with roles in "Love Don't Cost a Thing" and "Man of the House," among others. Then, after marrying husband Matt Pokora in 2020, she decided to leave Hollywood and return to his home country, France, with her kids. (Milian is mom to sons Isaiah, born in 2020, and Kenna, born in 2021, with Pokora, as well as daughter Violet, born in 2010, with ex The-Dream.)

In a November 2024 episode of "The Jennifer Hudson Show," Milian revealed that they had spent several years "commuting back and forth every six months" between France and the U.S. "And then we decided to commit to it last year because our kids were going to go to school," she continued about their decision to live in France full-time.

After living abroad for a year, the "Dexter: Original Sin" actor gave an update about her life and how happy the family is. "I love it," she told E! News in December 2024, adding, "My kids are happy there. They know French. We go to the park. I have an active lifestyle that's really nice during the day. ... It's a nice, healthy balance for me."