American actress, director, producer, and model Eva Longoria turned the page on her American life without hesitation. However, even the most fulfilled expats have their little pangs of nostalgia. While promoting her CNN series "Searching for France," Eva Longoria spoke to People about what her new life in Spain can't offer her.
A life in Spain that I chose and cherish.
Having settled in Spain in 2024 with her husband José Bastón and their 7-year-old son Santiago, Eva Longoria is enjoying a lifestyle radically different from the one she led in Los Angeles. She walks everywhere, there are no traffic jams, and meals take their time, she explains. This everyday luxury is something she readily contrasts with the American "working lunch" culture, which she describes as "aberrant: always rushed, never truly relaxed."
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What he misses: his family in Texas
Among the things she misses, Eva Longoria says, "I miss my family in Texas," she admits simply. Her son Santiago, however, is delighted to see his Spanish cousins again, and the actress emphasizes that family remains central to her lifestyle: "We want to be surrounded by family." To compensate for the distance, the family regularly travels back and forth to Mexico, where some of their relatives also live.
Her son Santiago feels very much at home in Spain, especially thanks to the presence of his cousins. And Eva Longoria makes no secret of the fact that her departure from the United States in 2024 was also political: she explicitly linked her decision to leave the country to Donald Trump's re-election. As long as he remains in power, a return is not on the agenda.
The other thing missing: real Mexican food.
The other notable, and perhaps most surprising, absence is gastronomic. "And good Mexican food too. You just can't find real, good Mexican food in Europe," she laments. A delicious paradox for someone who explores world cuisines in her travel shows and who has already dedicated an entire season to Mexican gastronomy.
France as a new field of exploration
It was while promoting her new series, "Eva Longoria: Searching for France," which premiered on CNN on April 12, 2026, that she shared these insights. The eight-episode series takes her across France, from Brittany to Alsace via Provence, as she discovers its culinary treasures. Perhaps this is a way to partially compensate for her longing for good food—even though Mexican cuisine, by her own admission, remains irreplaceable.
In short, Eva Longoria has built a happy life for herself on the other side of the Atlantic. Only her family back in Texas and the tacos of her native country seem to be what she misses. A small price to pay for someone who left everything behind—without seeming to regret her choice for a single moment.
