Donald Trump’s second term is a complete catastrophe for the country, for the global economy, for immigrants, for marginalized communities, for farmers, for students, for banks and for women. Americans with money and means have already started leaving the US or they’ve started making plans to do so. Well, it looks like Beyonce and Jay-Z are also considering a semi-permanent hiatus from America. Like seemingly every other celebrity, they’re eyeing Cotswolds real estate.

The Cotswolds are no stranger to having big names as residents, with stars such as the Beckham family and Ellen DeGeneres among those setting up home in the countryside. And it’s now thought that Beyonce and Jay-Z are in the final stages of purchasing 58 acres of land on the outskirts of Wigginton, after receiving planning permission to build a ‘spectacular rural estate’. If the couple seal the deal, they will be a stone’s throw away from Great Tew, where a string of big names already reside.

Given the closure of Wigginton’s local haunt, Beyoncé and Jay-Z could pay a visit to Falkland Arms, Great Tew’s village pub. One staff member said she had only seen David Beckham visit the pub once during the time she’d spent working there, and was reluctant to see Beyonce’s arrival attract the wrong kind of clientele. She told The Times: ‘We love our local clientele and we don’t want the couple’s arrival to bring in a different sort.’

Other long-term residents of Wigginton have also shared their concerns, with Thomas Winter, 30, fearing it could limit his opportunities to get on the housing ladder. Referencing US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the Cotswolds last month, he shared that the ‘ethos’ of the area has changed due to the influx of Londoners and big names buying property in the area. Another described the move as ‘madness,’ but an excited local gushed they couldn’t wait to see Beyonce at the village fete.

Earlier this summer, Beyonce and Jay-Z took a helicopter ride to view a mansion in the Oxfordshire hotspot. And designs reportedly show how the mansion plans could have seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, overlooking a lake. Owain Jones, a property consultant who has been dealing with the sale of the 58 acres, revealed that the guide price for the land was £7.5million but once the estate has been built it is likely to ‘be worth north of £18million’.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Beyonce and Jay-Z for comment. A source previously told the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential that Beyonce and Jay-Z are keen to plant roots in the UK. A friend of the couple said: ‘The wildfires have given them a good reason to look outside of Los Angeles to build new bases. They will always be based in LA but the UK is on the agenda. Beyonce loves the UK because they support everything she does.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Yeah, I wonder how much of this is about the LA & Malibu wildfires. I also wonder if this is more of a “rich person who owns multiple properties internationally” thing rather than “Bey-Z hate America and are looking to permanently relocate to the UK.” What strikes me most about this Mail piece is “One staff member said she had only seen David Beckham visit the pub once during the time she’d spent working there, and was reluctant to see Beyonce’s arrival attract the wrong kind of clientele.” The posh Cotswolds people are worried about Black people moving into their neighborhood. Shut it down, Bey-Z!! Maybe invest in real estate elsewhere. They love Paris, right? Buy a place in France or Monaco.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.