Did Leonardo DiCaprio announce he was leaving the United States, saying, "This is not the country I want to live in," as of December 6, 2024? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the actor announced that he was leaving the U.S. as of this writing. No reputable news outlets reported that he decided to leave the country, nor did any attribute this quote to him.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on December 4, 2024. It read:
BREAKING: Leonardo DiCaprio abandons America!
'This is not the country I want to live in!' He joins a wave of Hollywood stars fleeing the US. What's driving them out? Find out now!
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Dec 6 20:22:32 2024 UTC)
The Facebook post included a link (archived here) to a website with a story titled, "Leonardo DiCaprio," which included a supposed statement from the actor:
DiCaprio's statement has sparked widespread discussion, with the actor outlining his reasons in a heartfelt message:
'I have always believed in the promise of America--its values, its opportunities, and its people. But recent events have shown me a side of this country that I cannot reconcile with my vision of a brighter future. This is not the America I dreamed of.'
Neither the post on Facebook nor the linked article provided any evidence to support DiCaprio's supposed U.S. departure, such as a link to the statement or when and where it was said.
As of December 6, 2024, DiCaprio had made no such announcement or statement on his Facebook (archived here), Instagram or X (archived here) verified profiles.
Had DiCaprio, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, announced that he was leaving the U.S., it would likely have been national and international news. However, a Google search (archived here) and a search of Google News (archived here) found no news articles reporting his decision to move.
Lead Stories previously debunked the rumor that DiCaprio fled the U.S. after Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested on sex crime charges in September 2024.
We contacted DiCaprio's representative and will update the story if a response is received.
Other Lead Stories fact checks about Leonardo DiCaprio can be found here.
