X

Ellen DeGeneres Faces Lawsuit For Allegedly Causing California Car Crash After Leaving The US For Europe: Exhibited ‘Negligent Conduct’

September 24, 2025 by Maria Pierides

 
Splash News

Ellen DeGeneres may be living her best life in the U.K. right now with wife Portia de Rossi, but drama from her past in California is seemingly catching up with her!

The 67-year-old comedian and former talk show host is reportedly facing a lawsuit related to a car crash that happened two years ago, and is being sued for general negligence and an unspecified amount of money in damages.

The incident dates back to October 2023, when DeGeneres was reportedly accused of driving through a stop sign in Santa Barbara County and causing another driver to slam into her vehicle. And now, that driver wants to take her to court!

Ellen DeGeneres Is Accused Of Causing A Car Crash In 2023

According to People, the Finding Dory actress is being sued by a woman who claims the crash that occurred on October 16th, 2023 was entirely DeGeneres' fault because she failed to stop at a stop sign. The lawsuit stresses that the intersection "is controlled by stop signs in all directions."

According to the lawsuit, the woman claims that she stopped for her stop sign and "made sure there were no other vehicles" around before continuing to drive forward. At that point, she says DeGeneres "entered the intersection without stopping at the stop sign" and "suddenly and without any warning" collided with her vehicle, leaving her vehicle "t-boned" and badly damaged.

Ellen Reportedly Exhibited 'Negligent Conduct'

The lawsuit also reportedly claims that DeGeneres exhibited "negligent conduct (that) fell below the standard of care of a reasonable person," essentially arguing that she failed to drive responsibly. It alleges that the comedian "negligently caused, or contributed to causing plaintiff's vehicle to be collided with by the defendants' vehicle."

As a result, the woman says she has suffered "multiple serious personal injuries and damages," including lost wages, medical expenses, and even emotional tolls such as "loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress and anxiety."

If the case goes in her favor, DeGeneres could be ordered to pay compensation, although the exact amount has not been revealed.

Ellen DeGeneres And Portia De Rossi Are Loving Life In The UK

This may or may not dampen the former Ellen DeGeneres Show host's spirits, as she is seemingly thriving in the U.K. with her wife. The married couple left the U.S. for the Cotswolds in the U.K. just before Donald Trump won the election last year, and they seemingly won't return until he leaves the White House.

DeGeneres told broadcaster Richard Bacon that life "is just better" in the U.K., saying: "It's absolutely beautiful. We're just not used to seeing this kind of beauty. The villages and the towns and the architecture – everything you see is charming and it's just a simpler way of life."

She went on at the time: "It's clean. Everything here is just better. The way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here." Last month, she shared a video on Instagram showing Portia riding her horse in the countryside, and captioned it: "Portia's living her dream riding her horse through the English countryside and into the village. Gosh I hope she comes home soon."

Load more...