Actor Kirk Cameron recently announced that he’s fled California for Tennessee. The “Growing Pains” star said his choice to abandon the West Coast was sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and solidified by the cultural and political disunity present across California. He told the Washington Examiner, “It’s pretty clear that California has been moving in a particular direction for a long time.” Cameron also took to his Facebook account to discuss his move to Tennessee.

He joked that the policies in California are making state Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) the “U-Haul employee of the year” as many are choosing to leave the Pacific Coast and head to other states. He said, “As Pastor Jack Hibbs has reminded us, we can all be Tennesseeans and join in on the parade of praise and of repentance, fasting, and prayer, asking God to have His hand of mercy on your state — whether that’s California or New York or New Hampshire or Minnesota or South Dakota, wherever you are.”

Cameron said in a separate interview that he discovered Tennessee had become a haven for “a lot of California refugees,” including many “creatives” looking for a new place outside of Hollywood to establish community. “It’s shocking how many Californians are here,” he reflected. “And when I see them in the grocery store, I tell them, ‘Don’t California our Tennessee.’” Cameron’s sister, Candace Cameron Bure, is also now living in Tennessee. She left California because she did not feel safe living in the Golden State anymore and was much happier in Tennessee.

She said of her peace in Tennessee, “It’s because I’m not on guard. I’m with a lot of like-minded people. It’s not about the celebrities. It’s really about the music and the heart of the conversation.” Cameron, for his part, encouraged Californians who have experienced “serious economic problems and division” to consider relocating to the Volunteer State, where people value “God, family, and country.”