Tom Welling decided to leave Los Angeles due to the state of the city during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Smallville star, 48, left LA in 2020 with his wife, Jessica Rose Lee, and their son Thomas to move to a small town in Northern California, Page six reports.
According to media reports, the actor bought a house for $4.5 million in 2019.
Located in the quiet town of Somis, the estate features a swimming pool, gym and home cinema.
“LA was wild at the time,” Welling said People.
“There were no cars on the streets, you couldn’t go anywhere, people didn’t leave their houses.
“Our first son started crawling and we only had a small card game for him to play on. There was a thought: We don’t know if we can be here anymore.”
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Tom Welling revealed he moved from Los Angeles because of the city’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Image: tomwelling/Instagram
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The Smallville star and his wife, Jessica Rose Lee, left LA in 2020. Photo: tomwelling/Instagram
Welling said he knew he wanted to leave LA eventually, but accelerated the timeline after visiting family in Northern California and falling in love with a ranch.
The Cheaper by the Dozen star is now enjoying not being a celebrity in his community.
“Nobody bothers you in a small town,” he said.
“Everyone is famous in a small town.”
While Welling continues to take on acting projects, such as his upcoming comedy Chasing Summer, which debuts at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, his wife runs a horse breeding business.
“It’s peaceful,” he said of their lives. “And it feels real.”
“When I was younger, I was always looking for the next big thing,” he also said.
“Now I just want to be where my feet are.”
Welling was a model before landing the lead role in Smallville.
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Although he no longer lives in LA, he is still an actor and has a comedy premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2026. Photo: Getty Images for ReedPop
Welling and Lee married in 2019. They welcomed their second son, Rocklin, in June 2021.
The actor was previously married to model Jamie White from 2002 to 2015.
In January 2025, Welling was arrested for alleged drunk driving. He was arrested just after midnight in an Arby’s parking lot in Yreka, California, according to police records obtained by Page six at the time.
In May, the charges were dismissed and he pleaded not guilty to a lesser charge. We weekly reported.
In addition to being sentenced to one year of probation, he was also ordered to pay $US619 ($A922) in fines, $US150 ($A223) in restitution and complete a DUI program.
Parts of this story first appeared in Page six and was republished with permission.
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