A social media rumor circulated in June 2026, claiming that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the State Department had rejected former television host Ellen DeGeneres’ application to regain her U.S. citizenship.
One such claim, appearing on a Facebook page on June 24, asserted that Rubio had denied DeGeneres’ application because she lacked a valid reason to immigrate to the U.S. This rumor led some users on Facebook to believe it was true, prompting investigations into its authenticity.
An examination of search engine results did not reveal any credible news reports confirming that the State Department had denied DeGeneres’ citizenship application or that Rubio had commented on the matter.
The origin of this rumor was traced to a Facebook page named “America Loves Liberty.” This page first shared the claim on June 24 and describes itself as a platform for “certified AI-free trollery and right-wing propaganda.” A watermark on its posts, reading “Nothing on this page is real,” was consistently present.
The “America Loves Liberty” page had previously published a satirical story in which Rubio allegedly denied DeGeneres’ “application to repatriate to the United States.” This piece also bore the “Nothing on this page is real” watermark and gained traction on platforms like Instagram. Snopes has a history of fact-checking satirical content from this source.
Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, relocated from the U.S. to the United Kingdom following the U.S. presidential election in November 2024. There is no indication that DeGeneres relinquished her U.S. citizenship upon moving. Reports suggest they are residing in the Cotswolds region of England.
A representative for DeGeneres has been contacted for comment regarding her U.S. citizenship status, and a response is pending.
Content presented as satire, whether explicitly labeled or originating as such, is subject to subjective interpretation. Snopes employs ratings like “originated as satire” or “labeled satire” based on creator disclosures of their work’s intent.
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