Celebrities have been leaving Hollywood for years, but that trend has really accelerated during the pandemic era. Chris Hemsworth and Matthew McConaughey were defectors from LA before the pandemic, but in recent years Ariel Winter left Hollywood for the other coastas well as other celebrities, including James Van Der Beek who also moved during the Covid-19 era. The list might be long, but among those early defectors were Hallmark’s Alexa PenaVega (and her frequent on-screen partner and husband Carlos PenaVega), who recently opened up about the reasons behind Tinseltown’s departure.
As it turns out, there were countless reasons why the couple left Hollywood, but the most important among them was her husband’s mental state. In an interview, Alexa spoke about the rejections Carlos has faced during a time of change for her. she said Fox News:
Carlos really struggled with the industry. Every audition he went to, it was between him and another guy, and the other guy always got it. The rejection was just too much for him. This went on for a whole year. I was pregnant then. We’d always talked about moving to Hawaii, but later in life, as a retirement plan.
However, these “retirement plans” came much earlier. The actress opened up about how the family planning component really made her realize moving out of California made the most sense. They simply felt that their children would do better if they were raised elsewhere, and ended up having three children between 2016 and 2021, which they raised outside of LA. She remembered:
But we also knew we didn’t want to raise our kids in Los Angeles. I felt this tugging in my heart. I felt like God was saying, ‘You have to get out of here. It’s time.’ I didn’t want to move. I knew it was the right decision, but I wasn’t that excited about it.
(Sidebar: If you pick an “elsewhere,” Hawaii is a pretty sweet choice.)
When people leave Los Angeles, it’s often because there are kids involved. Mathew McConaughey’s wife, Camila Alves, has said she’s willing to leave town so her kids can avoid paparazzi. Alves and McConaughey wanted to give them a “private way of growing up.” However, in the Hallmark star’s case, it sounds like leaving Hollywood was a really tough decision for her personally.
You’d think Hawaii is that exciting. But I loved LA. I loved my career and didn’t want to leave. At the time, I felt like we were moving for Carlos. But one day I was praying in my car and suddenly I had this revelation. I felt that God was preparing us for this step. And we didn’t move because of Carlos. We moved for my heart. It stopped me because the whole time I thought we were only moving because of Carlos. But I needed a heart reset. I was the one who was trapped in the entertainment world and needed to take a step back. My work became my identity. God pulled me out of there so I could learn how to be a great mom and a great wife. God has helped us build that foundation in our families. And as soon as I had that revelation, I felt at peace.
Her story is a little different than many other celebrities who have decided Hollywood isn’t for them. In the Hemsworth case, that is Thor: Love and Thunder Actor and his wife Elsa Pataky wanted to raise their children in nature, in a place where they could spend a lot of time outdoors and even go horseback riding. And Ariel Winter previously stated she was ready for a change and just thought, “Why not?” In her case, kids weren’t a factor at all, so it was a great time for her to make a major life change. There’s no right or wrong reason to make this decision, and note that many other celebs are staying in LA for the long haul.
Alexa PenaVega promoted the release of her new book What if love is the point? (opens in new tab)which focuses on her career as a child star in spy kids, leading to her adult career and her relationship with Carlos. Since leaving Hollywood, the two have continued to work and even work together quite a bit. Hallmarks had opposite Carlos and Alexa in the now-cancelled film Picture book mystery series as well as a few one off romances like love at sea.
Her next Hallmark film with her husband is actually out this August. love in the spotlight is about a couple who interacted as pen pals for years. But will the sparks fly when “the former boy band singer” returns to her hometown? This flick is part of Hallmark’s summer film program and will premiere on August 6th.
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