From a young age, Lindsay Lohan had a successful career in Hollywood, from her start on soap operas to starring in major movies. Lohan lived in Tinseltown for some time, but she ultimately decided to make the move to Dubai, where she still lives with her family. So why did the former child actress make such a major leap from California to the United Arab Emirates? Well, Lohan provided a very personal explanation for that decision.
Lohan recently spoke with Vogue Arabia, and it was during that chat that the Parent Trap star got real about regretting the decision to stay in L.A. when she was younger instead of heading back to her native state of New York. By the time Lohan was in her late 20s in 2014, she found comfort in Dubai, and she just opened about how her career played into her relocation:
I wasn’t having fun in the business anymore. I wasn’t finding roles I loved. It’s not a life I wanted to live, you know? It’s not a real life. It pushed me so far away that I moved to the other side of the world. And I’m so glad I followed my gut.
Lindsay Lohan previously said that she needed to “break the cycle” of being pigeonholed in certain roles. After spending a big portion of her career starring in family-friendly roles and her later dramatic roles not striking much of a chord, I can’t blame the star for wanting to find a new direction by moving to a new location.
Of course, Lohan's career has been on the upswing in recent years. In 2026, she was back in action for Freakier Friday (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription). She's also starred in three Netflix rom-coms, and the actress plans to make a “wild” career first by starring in a drama TV series, Count My Lies, which is expected to stream on Hulu later this year. While Lohan is now booked and busy, it seems she still has no interest in returning to Los Angeles.
A lot of working Hollywood stars have found homes outside of the City of Angels. Chris Hemsworth and his family moved to Byron Bay for their kids to be surrounded by nature, and Jessica Simpson moved her family to Nashville to be around the country music scene there. As for Lindsay Lohan’s move to Dubai, here’s what she loves about her new home away from LA:
Being in Dubai is very grounding. I get to just spend time with my family. The city gives me a sense of being with what’s most important.
As for what’s important to Lohan, other than her growth in adult roles, is her family. Lohan met her husband, Bader Shammas, on a blind date while in Dubai, and they got married three years later. Then, in 2023, the Herbie: Fully Loaded actress gave birth to her son, Luai, and she's been raising him overseas since. Embracing a more grounded life in Dubai is clearly what Lohan wanted to evolve as an artist, wife and mother, and I'm glad she's happy.
On top of that, another benefit Lohan has stated about living in Dubai is finally having her privacy. Here's how she described that feeling:
That’s a big breath of fresh air, having to not overthink everything you do every second.
It's no secret that Lohan's personal life was a major topic of discussion during the early aughts. She was arguably a fixture within tabloids during the 2000s. Considering the public scrutiny she received years ago, it's heartwarming to see that she's made a home where she not only feels comfortable but protected as well.
As Lindsay Lohan remains in Dubai, I'm, of course, still pumped to see what she delivers in terms of her acting gigs. She may have been in the game for years, but only now does it feel like the entertainment industry is truly her oyster. Here's hoping she continues to churn out fun projects while maintaining her peace of mind in Dubai.
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