Ellen DeGeneres faces jury trial request in car crash lawsuit
COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND: A woman suing Ellen DeGeneres is pushing her case forward and now wants a jury to hear it. In a Monday, December 15 filing, the plaintiff formally requested a jury trial in her negligence lawsuit against the comedian.
She alleges that DeGeneres ran a stop sign while driving in Santa Barbara County and slammed into her car in a T-bone crash. The collision occurred on October 16, 2023, and the lawsuit, filed in September 2025, claims the woman suffered multiple serious injuries and damages as a result.
What does the filing by the woman suing Ellen DeGeneres say?
Monday's filing states that the woman has requested a jury trial in the case, although the court has scheduled only a non-jury trial so far.
The filing also says the parties took part in mediation on December 9, but DeGeneres has not yet been served because she lives overseas.
The documents note that the plaintiff will begin service under the Hague Convention to deliver the complaint to DeGeneres at her home in the UK. The filing claims the woman suffered "serious injuries" and lost a significant amount of income and business because of the crash with DeGeneres.
According to the complaint, the other driver stopped at the stop sign and checked that no other cars were coming before moving forward. It alleges that DeGeneres suddenly crashed into her car without warning. The filing states that DeGeneres entered the intersection without stopping at the stop sign.
The complaint also accuses DeGeneres of acting "negligently caused, or contributed to causing plaintiff's vehicle to be collided with by the defendant's" vehicle.
It claims her actions caused or contributed to the crash. In addition to her injuries and lost income, the woman says the accident caused emotional distress, anxiety, and a reduced "enjoyment of life."
Where does Ellen DeGeneres live?
Ellen DeGeneres has lived in the Cotswolds with her wife, Portia de Rossi, for more than a year. The couple sold their California home and moved overseas in the fall of 2024. DeGeneres said they made the move largely to avoid President Donald Trump’s term.
In July, they sold the UK farmhouse they had bought for $30 million and moved into a larger property that could house de Rossi’s horses.
DeGeneres told The Wall Street Journal that the new home better fits her wife’s needs.
In an August Instagram post, DeGeneres said her wife is 'living her dream' in their new neighborhood. She shared a video of de Rossi with her horses and said she loves riding through the English countryside and into the village.
