Rosie O'Donnell

**Rosie O'Donnell** (born **Roseann O'Donnell** on March 21, 1962 in Commack, NY) is an American Comedienne, Actress, Author, Producer and former Talk Show Hostess, hosting her own self-titled talk show, *The Rosie O'Donnell Show* from 1996-2002, lead hostess & moderator on the ABC Daytime talk show *The View* from 2006-2007 & again from 2014-2015, and *The Rosie Show* from 2011-2012 on the OWN Network. She once appeared as a celebrity guest on Michael Strahan's version of *The $100,000 Pyramid*.

## Early Life

Born Roseann O'Donnell in Commack, New York, the third of five children, to parents Roseann Teresa, a homemaker and Edward Joseph O'Donnell, an electrical engineer who worked in the defense industry. Rosie's father had immigrated from County Donegal, Ireland, during his childhood, and her mother was Irish American; O'Donnell was raised Roman Catholic. Her older brother, Daniel J. O'Donnell, now a member of the New York State Assembly. On March 17, 1973, four days before her 11th birthday, O'Donnell's her mother lost her battle with breast cancer.

While attending Commack High School, O'Donnell was voted homecoming queen, prom queen, senior class president and also class clown. During her high school years, she began exploring her interest in comedy, beginning with a skit performed in front of the school in which she imitated Gilda Radner's character Roseanne Roseannadanna. After graduating high school in 1980, O'Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to Boston University before ultimately dropping out of college.

## Stand-Up Comedy, *Star Search* & early TV & Movie Roles

Beginning in 1979, one year before graduating high school, O'Donnell began touring as an aspiring stand-up comedienne in comedy clubs. But it wouldn't be until 1984, at 20 years of age, when she landed her big break on the hit talent competition show *Star Search*, hosted by Ed McMahon.

In an interview on *Larry King Live*, Rosie explained that after performing at a comedy club in Long Island, New York, a woman came up to her and asked for her phone number and mentioned that her dad was Ed McMahon. Although skeptical, O'Donnell gave the woman her phone number and three days later, she received a phone call from a talent booker from *Star Search* and was then flown to Los Angeles to compete on the talent show. Audiences loved O'Donnell's stand-up comedy routines as she won five back-to-back competitions and it gave her national exposure.

After a long success in the stand-up comedy field, O'Donnell then gained attention from TV & movie casting producers. In 1986, she made her acting debut on the NBC sitcom *Gimme a Break!* (starring singer & actress, the late Nell Carter) during it's sixth & final season. Rosie's character on the show is named Maggie O'Brien, a young dental hygienist, who works days and is married to a cab driver. She resides in an apartment complex in Greenwich Village, upstairs from Nell Carter's character and occasionally visits from time to time. O'Donnell's first on-screen appearance as Maggie came in the episode titled "Nell the Boss" (first airing on November 12, 1986) and remained with the series until it's end in May 1987.

In 1988, a year after *Gimme a Break!* ended, Rosie joined music video station VH1's lineup of veejays, hosting a series for VH1, *Stand-up Spotlight*, a showcase for up-and-coming comedians.

In 1992, she returned to the sitcom world, co-starring alongside former *Little House on the Prairie* actress Melissa Gilbert in *Stand By Your Man*, a short-lived sitcom that aired on the Fox network, debuting on April 5th. But unfortunately, the show failed to strike a chord with TV audiences and with poor ratings, the show was cancelled after only eight short episodes. But the cancellation of the sitcom wasn't a total loss for O'Donnell as her movie career took off.

She made her feature film debut in the 1992 film *A League of Their Own*, which tells the story about a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film went on to become a box office hit and was directed by former *Laverne & Shirley* star & actress-turned-director, the late Penny Marshall and starred Academy Award & Golden Globe winners Tom Hanks and Geena Davis and singer/songwriter Madonna. O'Donnell's role in the film is "All the Way" Mae Mordabito (#5, center field).

The following year, O'Donnell appeared alongside Tom Hanks again, and also Meg Ryan, in the film *Sleepless in Seattle*, playing the role of Becky, the best friend & confidante of Ryan's character, Anne Reed. She also starred alongside Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez in *Another Stakeout*, a sequel to the 1987 film titled *Stakeout* which also starred both Dreyfuss & Estevez (the film, unlike it's predecessor, became a box office flop).

More movie roles followed as Rosie took on an eclectic range of roles. In 1994, she landed perhaps one of her best known & notable movie roles to date: Betty Rubble in the live-action film adaptation of the 1960s animated sitcom *The Flintstones*, co-starring alongside *Roseanne* co-star John Goodman (as Fred Flintstone), Elizabeth Perkins (as Wilma Flintstone) and Rick Moranis (as Barney Rubble). O'Donnell reportedly won the role because she captured Betty Rubble's signature high pitch giggle perfectly at her audition.

Also in 1994, O'Donnell starred alongside Dan Aykroyd and Dana Delany as undercover federal agents in the raunchy comedy film *Exit to Eden*, based on the novel written by Anne Rampling and was directed by Garry Marshall (Penny Marshall's brother). The film garnered generally negative reviews and as well as a great deal of controversy and attention during it's release due to the BDSM themes, full frontal nudity and because of the high profiles of the director, cast members and the author. Promotional materials for the film included photos of both O'Donnell and Dana Delany dressed in dominatrix attire.

In 1995, she had a supporting role in the coming-of-age film titled *Now and Then*, playing the adult version of the character, proclaimed tomboy Roberta Martin to actress Christina Ricci's teenaged version of the same character. The film also starred Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffman, Thora Birch and Rita Wilson, the wife of Tom Hanks.

Another one of O'Donnell's most notable movie roles is that of Katherine "Ole Golly" in the 1996 family comedy-drama film *Harriet the Spy*, starring child actress Michelle Trachtenberg, who plays the title character and based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Louise Fitzhugh. In the film, Rosie plays Harriet's live-in nanny, who's looked after Harriet since she was an infant (due to her parents privileged lifestyles). After a dinner & movie night out with an old friend, Golly and Harriet return home to Harriet's angry mother, who fires Golly for allowing Harriet to stay out late but immediately regrets it afterwards as she tries to convince Golly to stay but Golly insists that Harriet is old enough to take care of herself. Much to everyone's protests, Golly leaves as Harriet falls into a deep depression and becomes withdrawn. Golly does however return later in the film as she encourages Harriet (after she becomes an outsider with practically the entire town) to make things right with her friends after they've turned their backs on her after discovering that Harriet had written some not-so-nice things about them in her private notebook, which was discovered and exposed by her nemesis (to their entire classmates), Marion Hawthrone. Golly also tells Harriet that one of the blessings of life is good friends and to never give up without a fight.

## *The Rosie O'Donnell Show*, Numerous Daytime Emmy Wins & Controversies

After a long string in starring and supporting movie roles, Rosie O'Donnell was ready to expand her empire. She made the movie to daytime television as she began hosting her very own self-titled talk show, *The Rosie O'Donnell Show*, which premiered on June 10, 1996 and it became an immediate hit with TV audiences.

O'Donnell earned the title of "The Queen of Nice" for her style of light-hearted banter with her guests as well as interactions with her studio audience. As part of her playful banter with the audience, Rosie often launched koosh balls at the crowd and camera; this gag soon expanded through the years to include automated koosh-projecting devices in the ceiling, as well as O'Donnell firing at a moving target. She also professed an infatuation with actor Tom Cruise. The show was based in New York City and O'Donnell displayed her love of Broadway musicals and plays by having cast members as guests, encouraging the audience to see shows, premiering production numbers as well as promoting shows with ticket giveaways.

The intro for each show began with either a surprise celebrity cameo or a studio audience member as they would say "Hi ! I'm [insert name] from [insert city or television program] and this is *The Rosie O'Donnell Show*. On today's: [insert guests and/or topics]. Hit it, John !" and the house band, led by pianist John McDaniel, would play the show's theme music accompanied by an animated intro and then the surprise celebrity or audience member would then say "And now, here's Rosie !" (in the style of Johnny Carson) as O'Donnell would then make her entrance through the curtain and then spent the first couple of minutes chatting with the celebrity or audience member.

Throughout it's 6-year run, *The Rosie O'Donnell Show* & O'Donnell herself, have won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. On May 21, 1997, Rosie won her very first Emmy for "Outstanding Talk Show Host" as the audience roared with thunderous cheering & applauding as the beloved comedienne became overwhelmed with emotion when giving her acceptance speech, namely paying homage to her late mother. She would then go on the win the Emmy in the "Outstanding Talk Show Host" category back-to-back from 1998-2002, when she won her very last. The show itself was first nominated in the "Outstanding Talk Show" category in 1997 but didn't score it's first Daytime Emmy win until the following year (tied with *The Oprah Winfrey Show*) and won the award back-to-back (just as O'Donnell won for Talk Show Host) from 1999-2002.

Also at the 1999 Daytime Emmy Awards (where she won her third Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host), O'Donnell presented the Lifetime Achievement to then-current Host of *The Price is Right*, Bob Barker, who appeared as a frequent guest on her talk show and brought along a random pricing game for her to play (for an audience member) and is a longtime fan on the hit CBS game show and often said that she grew up watching the show with her grandmother. Later in the telecast, O'Donnell was seen becoming emotional after Legendary Daytime Diva & *All My Children* star Susan Lucci, after 19 nominations, won her very first (and only) Daytime Emmy in the "Lead Actress in a Drama Series" category as *The Young and the Restless* star Shemar Moore, who presented the award, shouted "THE STREAK IS OVER, SUSAN LUCCI !!!" as the audience erupted in thunderous cheering & applauding (Years later, in an interview with "Archive of American Television", Susan revealed that Rosie told her that she was going to win the Emmy that night and to hand her her evening bag before taking the stage).

But aside from all the Daytime Emmy wins, *The Rosie O'Donnell Show* came under heavy scrutiny, causing a massive deal of controversy that caused some sponsors to pull their advertisements from the show. After the devastating Columbine High School shootings, that claimed the lives of several students and a teacher, O'Donnell became an outspoken supporter of gun control and a major figure in the Million Mom March. During the April 19, 1999 broadcast of her talk show and in one of the more serious topics ever discussed on the program, she stated, "You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison." She has also previously remarked, "I don't personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem."

In May, a month after the Columbine shootings, *Magnum, P.I.* star Tom Selleck, appeared as a guest on the talk show. He was originally there to promote his new film titled *The Love Letter* but O'Donnell had other things on her mind. She confronted him over a commercial he appeared in for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and challenged him about the NRA's position on the use of "assault weapons", which led to a tensed back-and-forth between them. She said at the end of the segment that the conversation had "not gone the way she had hoped" and added "if you feel insulted by my questions, I apologize because it was not a personal attack. It was meant to bring up the subject as it is in the consciousness of so many today" and Selleck accepted her apology. Around the same time, the cast from *Annie Get Your Gun* was to appear on the show but refused O'Donnell's request to remove the line "I can shoot a partridge with a single cartridge" from the song *Anything You Can Do* and agreed to perform *My Defenses Are Down* instead.

After speaking out against gun control and Tom Selleck's appearance on her talk show, O'Donnell immediately discontinued her contract with Kmart as their spokeswoman (she appeared in a number of commercials alongside her friend, Penny Marshall) after gun enthusiasts complained that she should not be the spokesperson for the largest gun retailer. Rosie countered that Kmart sells hunting rifles, not handguns or assault weapons and does so legally, which she supports. Both O'Donnell and the company retailer denied publicly that Kmart had terminated the contract. In May 2000, O'Donnell's bodyguard applied for a concealed firearm permit. She stated that the security firm contracted by Warner Bros. had requested a gun after O'Donnell stated that she and her family needed protection after receiving a number of death threats.

In April 2001, O'Donnell was absent from her talk show for two weeks following an injury. During her absence, a number of guest hostesses filled in, including singer Marie Osmond, Ana Gasteyer, fellow comediennes Caroline Rhea & Kathy Griffin, actress Jane Krakowski (who also played Betty Rubble in the 2000 comedy *The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas*) and *The View* hostesses Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira and Joy Behar.

Later that fall, O'Donnell announced that the sixth season of her talk show would be her very last. She went on to say that she wanted to spend more time with her children and that being the biggest reason why she was ready to call it quits. Throughout the final season, she called on her friend and fellow comedienne Caroline Rhea (best known for her role of Aunt Hilda on the ABC/WB sitcom *Sabrina the Teenage Witch*, starring Melissa Joan Hart) to host the program on Fridays. Rhea's growing popularity as guest hostess gave her the green light to host her very own self-titled talk show, *The Caroline Rhea Show*, the following year, succeeding O'Donnell. But unfortunately Rhea's program was nowhere near as successful as Rosie's and was cancelled after only one season.

The final episode of O'Donnell's talk show aired on May 22, 2002. The episode featured an opening musical ensemble number from *Broadway*, starring singer, actress & former Miss America Vanessa Williams and *3rd Rock From the Sun* star John Lithgow (both of whom were appearing on Broadway at the time) and Rosie's final guests on the program were Christine Ebersole and fellow Broadway actor Nathan Lane. The show's final segment featured a retrospective video made by O'Donnell that blended scenes from her personal life with her talk show, accompanied by the song *Both Sides Now*, performed by singer Joni Mitchell. The conclusion of the show featured a clip of O'Donnell's crush, actor Tom Cruise, mowing a lawn, who then stops to look at the camera and says "Rosie, I cut your grass and here is your lemonade" (a reference to one of the show's long-running gags, that she adored Cruise).

Remaining new, but pre-taped, episodes continued to air until June 27th, the last with guest hostess Caroline Rhea. Repeat episodes of *The Rosie O'Donnell Show* continued to air until August 30th (which was a repeat of the May 20th episode).

## Daytime TV Comeback: *The View* & later abrupt departure x2

At the 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards, which aired live on April 28, 2006, it was announced that O'Donnell would be making a triumphant TV comeback as she would be joining *The View* for it's record-breaking tenth season on the air. She would be replacing Meredith Vieira, who was one of the show's original hostesses when the show debuted in August 1997 & previously substituted for O'Donnell on her talk show during her absence, as lead hostess & moderator as Vieira was moving on to co-anchor NBC's *The Today Show* (replacing departing co-anchor Katie Couric) and her final appearance on *The View* aired on June 9th.

Star Jones, another one of the original hostesses, also exited the series citing controversy. There was a great deal of speculation that Jones's conservative views would be in constant tension with O'Donnell's more liberal counterpoint views. Rosie had also disputed Jones's route of rapid weight loss, alluding that it must have been through gastric bypass surgery, rather than dieting and exercise alone as Jones had insisted, which also fed speculation about certain tension between the two (Jones later confirmed that surgery was involved).

With the departures of Jones and Meredith Vieira, O'Donnell was set to join Barbara Walters, Joy Behar (whom also filled in for Rosie on her talk show) and Elisabeth Hasselbeck as the record-breaking 10th season of *The View* premiered on September 5, 2006. Rosie was credited with keeping the show's "buzz factor up". She was also credited with making it more news-focused, though it still embraced the "fluff" of daytime TV talk shows (celebrities, fashion, and food) and despite an overall downward trend for most daytime broadcast shows, ratings rose by 27% during her first stint on *The View*, becoming the fourth-most-watched in all of daytime in the key demographic of women ages 18–49 and scored record ratings in the total viewer category with an average of 3.4 million viewers—up 15% versus the same time in 2005.

During her first stint on *The View*, Rosie was encouraged by the show to be outspoken, which she was but sometimes provoked debate, at one time stating "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam". During an appearance on Phil Donahue's talk show in February 2003, she referred to the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston resulting in $157 million awarded to 983 claimants, stating "I hope the Catholic Church gets sued until the end of time. Maybe, you know, we can melt down some of the gold toilets in the Pope's Vatican and pay off some of the lawsuits because, the whole tenet of living a Christ-like life, has been lost in Catholicism". Her outspokenness and spontaneousness sometimes led to her views being recirculated by other media outlets, often surprising *View* co-hostesses including O'Donnell. O'Donnell was portrayed unfavorably by right-wing conservative media outlets and what she deemed as Republican pundits and lamented that they were focusing on her comments instead of more important national and world issues.

In November 2006, two months into her first tenure as lead hostess/moderator, Rosie made headlines after she called out fellow talk show hostess & former *All My Children* star Kelly Ripa, accusing her of being homophobic towards her guest co-host, Season 2 *American Idol* runner-up Clay Aiken (who was filling in for Regis Philbin), scolding him for putting his hand over her mouth as she said to him "I don't know where that hand's been, honey!". O'Donnell viewed it as a homophobic attack and much to her surprise, Kelly Ripa phoned in to respond to her allegations LIVE on the air and it lead to a pretty intense argument between the two and a feud that would last into the next decade.

One month later, during their "Hot Topics" discussion, O'Donnell criticized then-*Apprentice* host & creator, now disgraced, twice-impeached former president of the United States, Donald J. Trump for holding a press conference to reinstate Miss USA Tara Conner, who had violated pageant guidelines, accusing him of using her scandal to "generate publicity for the Miss USA Pageant" (to which he owns the rights) by announcing he was giving her a second chance. Rosie commented that due to Trump's multiple marital affairs and questionable business bankruptcies, he was not a moral authority for young people in America. She stated, "Left the first wife, had an affair. Left the second wife, had an affair – but he's the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America" and even mocked his receding hairline. In response to this, Trump began what would turn into a decade-long bitter feud between himself and O'Donnell (as they bad-mouthed and trash talked each other in the media). He went on a "vicious" mass media blitz, appearing on various television shows, either in person or by phone, threatening to sue O'Donnell and strip her on her livelihood (which he never did). But the attacks didn't end there, he then went on to call her mean and nasty names, threatened to take away her partner Kelli, and even made an outrageous claim that Barbara Walters regretted hiring her on *The View*. Walters was stuck in the middle as a social acquaintance of Trump's, and said O'Donnell did not feel like Walters defended her enough, which led to what both women agreed was an unfortunate confrontation in one of the dressing rooms. "I had pain and hurt and rejection," O'Donnell said, "sometimes [my emotions] overwhelm me. Sometimes I get flooded." Barbara Walters vividly denied that she was unhappy with O'Donnell, saying, "I have never regretted, nor do I now, the hiring of Rosie O'Donnell."

Aside from being on the receiving end of non-stop, vicious attacks courtesy of Donald Trump, O'Donnell continued on as lead hostess & moderator on *The View* but in April 2007, she announced that she would be leaving the show when her contract expires due to the network not being able to come to terms on a new contract. But a month later, she had reached her breaking point and asked to be let out of her contract three weeks before its expiration and was granted permission to depart immediately.

Leading up to her abrupt departure, during their "Hot Topics" discussions, O'Donnell frequently condemned many of the Bush administration's policies, especially the war in Iraq and the resulting occupation. She also questioned the official explanation for the destruction of the World Trade Center, and stating in one episode, "I do believe that it's the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel". She also consistently mentioned recent military deaths and news about the war, and criticized the U.S. media for its lack of attention to these issues compared to media coverage throughout the world. This led to a series of heated exchanges with co-hostess, Elisabeth Hasselbeck as well as "the most-discussed moment of her professional life." On the May 17, 2007 show, O'Donnell rhetorically asked "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists? ... if you were in Iraq and another country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?" as conservative commentators criticized O'Donnell's statements, claiming that she was comparing American soldiers to terrorists.

But on May 23rd and what would be her last appearance as lead hostess & moderator, a fiery and heated exchange ensued between O'Donnell and Hasselbeck. In part, because of what O'Donnell perceived as Elisabeth's unwillingness to defend O'Donnell from the criticisms; O'Donnell asked Hasselbeck, "Do you believe I think our troops are terrorists?" to which she replied in the negative but also stated "Defend your own insinuations, defend your own thoughts". Rosie even stated that Republican pundits were mischaracterizing her statements and that the right-wing media outlets would portray her as a bully, "big fat lesbian loud-mouthed Rosie attacks poor innocent pure Christian Elisabeth" whenever they disagreed. The argument between the two ladies reached to the point where they began hitting below the belt and hurling insults at one another (at one point Hasselbeck brought up O'Donnell's fights with Donald Trump which brought horrifying gasps from the studio audience) as Joy Behar and guest (and eventually permanent) hostess Sherri Shepherd tried to make light of the situation by jokingly getting up and leaving the stage.

After all was said and done, O'Donnell decided that she had enough and left the show that day, but afterwards stated that the reason was not the argument itself, but rather the fact that she saw on the studio monitor that the camera had shown a split screen, with her and Hasselbeck on either side. O'Donnell felt that the show's director and producer "had to prepare that in advance ... I felt there was setup egging me into that position. The executive producer and I did not gel." O'Donnell and ABC agreed to cut short her contract agreement. She also said that she was hurt and felt Hasselbeck had betrayed her friendship: "there's something about somebody being different on TV toward you than they are in the dressing room. It didn't really ring true for me". ABC News later reported that her arguments with Hasselbeck brought the show its best ratings ever.

That coming Monday, Barbara Walters, who was absent during O'Donnell & Hasselbeck's on-air fight, addressed Rosie's departure from the series. Also sitting on the panel was fellow comedienne, Oscar-Winning Actress & EGOT Winner Whoopi Goldberg, making her first-ever appearance as guest hostess (and would permanently replace O'Donnell as lead hostess & moderator that coming August). When addressing her part of the controversy, Elisabeth Hasselbeck claimed that she & O'Donnell were in "constant communication with each other" over the weekend and that they were now on "the power of forgiveness".

*Time* magazine included O'Donnell in their annual list of the 100 most influential people for 2007. She was also named "The Most Annoying Celebrity of 2007" by a PARADE reader's poll, in response she said, "Frankly, most celebrities are annoying ... and I suppose I am the most annoying, but, whatever....".

Seven years after her abrupt exit from *The View*, O'Donnell made her first return visit to the show in February 2014, followed by another cameo appearance later that May as the show's co-creator & executive producer, Barbara Walters was retiring from her role as co-hostess as she was reunited with all of *View* co-hostesses dating back to it's August 1997 debut. A few months later, it was announced that Rosie would be returning to co-host the show for it's then-18th season alongside Whoopi Goldberg and two newcomers: Nicolle Wallace, an MSNBC political analyst and former Bush White House communications chief and Rosie Perez, an actress, choreographer and former *Soul Train* dancer. But not everyone was thrilled with the news of O'Donnell's return to the ABC daytime talk show; after receiving word of Rosie's comeback to *The View*, her former co-hostess Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who exited the series in July 2013 to join the panel of Fox News' morning program *Fox & Friends*, was less than enthusiastic about her nemesis's return to *The View* and even phoned in to her co-workers on *Fox & Friends* to say that the news of O'Donnell's *View* comeback "ruined her vacation" as she took that week off. Hasselbeck then came under fire from her remarks, even her former *View* co-hostess Joy Behar chimed in and said that Hasselbeck should "Grow Up".

O'Donnell's second stint on *The View* would be also short-lived. In February 2015, Rosie's representatives confirmed that she would be once again leaving the panel, citing her reasons as a "personal decision" and her final appearance aired on the 12th. Rosie later said that her health had gotten a little bit worse right before the holidays, which caused her doctor to be concerned. She also said that she couldn't really fix [her personal life] right away but she could fix [her job]".

Just as she clashed with Elisabeth Hasselbeck during her first stint on the show, Rosie often butted heads again during her second stint; this time around with Whoopi Goldberg. One of the topics the two comediennes often fought over was the scandal surrounding disgraced comedy legend Bill Cosby (who previously served a 10-year prison sentence but only served 3 years before being released in June 2021) and whether or not he was guilty of sexual abuse but it wasn't until that December when O'Donnell and Goldberg nearly got into an screaming, verbal shouting match over racial issues with their fellow co-hostesses Nicolle Wallace & Rosie Perez and also guest hostess, actress & transgender activist Laverne Cox, caught in the middle.

Some time after Rosie's second departure from *The View*, a then-newly released tell-all book titled *Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View"* by Ramin Setoodeh hit the book shelves The book features numerous interviews with former and current *View* co-hostesses, including O'Donnell, as well as former executive producer Bill Geddie (who co-created the program with Barbara Walters) regarding their tenures on the show. For her part, Rosie's comments received the most buzz and had some raising a few eyebrows. First, she revisits the long-smoldering feud with Elisabeth Hasselbeck and even stated that she developed a small innocent crush on her by saying "I think there were underlying lesbian undertones on both parts. I think this is something that will hurt her if you write it. She was the MVP of a Division 1 softball team for two years that won the finals. There are not many, in my life, girls with such athletic talent on sports teams that are traditionally male that aren't as least a little bit gay". After learning of O'Donnell's comments, Elisabeth Hasselbeck responded by saying that she found the comments "disturbing" and "objectifying", prompting Rosie to clap back on Twitter by saying "Hey eh - my crush on U was NOT sexual - sorry U got scared - surely U recall b4 it all went wrong - I never objectified U - I did find U fantastic - broadway shows - my pool - we were friends once - God love ya, kid - I always did". Hasselbeck also said that she "immediately starting praying, that the Holy Spirit gives her the words to articulate and that it can be addressed with truth and grace", in closing, Hasslebeck also stated that she "forgives" Rosie and that she's "praying for her".

But perhaps the biggest bombshell of all was O'Donnell's tensed work-relationship with Whoopi Goldberg, calling it "the worst experience she ever had" and that Goldberg was the "meanest person she's ever worked with". Rosie says that Goldberg was as mean as anyone has ever been on television to her, personally-while she was sitting there. Despite this, O'Donnell insists that she has nothing but respect for Goldberg by saying "She's a minority, feminist, smart, funny, groundbreaking legend who is black in America. I'm never going to NOT have respect for Whoopi Goldberg. But that was a painful experience, personally and professionally".

Rosie later come out and said that participating in *Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View"* was her biggest regret.

Recently, Rosie was one of many former *View* hostesses to pay tribute to their former boss & work colleague Barbara Walters, who passed away on December 30, 2022, at the age of 93. O'Donnell posted a photo of herself & Walters on Instagram citing the caption: "Legend". However, Rosie was notably absent from a recent January 2023 tribute episode of *The View* where many of the former and current hostesses (including Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Lisa Ling, Sunny Hostin, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones & Debbie Matenopoulous) paid homage to Barbara and sharing their fondest memories of the legendary newswoman & iconic trailblazer. To silence any speculations, Rosie confirmed on her social media that she was indeed invited to take part of *The View's* homage to Barbara Walters but was unavailable to attend and that she did not want to be in a large group of people, citing that she didn't want to get upset, but this has left some fans to speculate that another (or perhaps the BIGGEST) reason for O'Donnell being a no-show was because she did not want to see nor interact with Whoopi Goldberg & Elisabeth Hasselbeck (who appeared virtually), given her history with both former colleagues.

## *The Rosie Show* & the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

In 2011, O'Donnell began producing material for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In May of that year, *The Doc Club with Rosie O'Donnell* premiered, a show where O'Donnell moderates live panel discussions following premieres of OWN Documentaries. She also hosted specials for *Becoming Chaz*, also in May and *Miss Representation* later that October.

In the fall, O'Donnell began full-time work on a new talk show titled *The Rosie Show*, for OWN. The series was taped at the Chicago studios formerly home to *The Oprah Winfrey Show*. The show debuted on October 10th, to generally positive reviews. But after a few months short months on the air, the OWN network pulled the plug on *The Rosie Show* due to declining ratings. The last show taped March 20th, on the eve of O'Donnell's then-50th birthday and the final show aired on the 29th. In a statement, Oprah Winfrey said: "I thank Rosie from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey. She has been an incredible partner, working to deliver the best possible show every single day. As I have learned in the last 15 months, a new network launch is always a challenge and ratings grow over time as you continue to gather an audience. I'm grateful to Rosie and the dedicated Rosie Show team for giving it their all".

O'Donnell responded to the cancellation by thanking her viewers and the host city of Chicago, she said in a statement: "I loved working with Oprah in the amazing city of Chicago. I was welcomed with open arms and will never forget the kindness of all I encountered. It was a great year for me—I wish the show was able to attract more viewers—but it did not. So I am headed back to my home in New York—with gratitude. On we go!"

## Game Shows & other TV appearances

Aside from being an established TV personality and actress in both television & movies, Rosie was also a very familiar face on the TV Game Show circuit as well. In October 1992, she competed on a celebrity episode of *Jeopardy*, alongside actors Robert Gulliaume and Ed Begley Jr. O'Donnell returned to compete on another celebrity-themed episode in November 1999, alongside comedy legend Carol Burnett and actor Noah Wylie.

In March 1997, she made a surprise cameo appearance on an episode of *Wheel of Fortune* after the puzzle "TALK SHOW HOST ROSIE O'DONNELL" was solved. O'Donnell returned to assist the show's hostess Vanna White, who was pregnant with her second child, at the puzzleboard for one round. Vanna, in turn, made a cameo appearance on O'Donnell's self-titled talk show during the intro (a mini puzzleboard prop was placed on stage as Vanna turned over the letters "HERE'S ROSIE" & O'Donnell made her entrance) and the two discussed Rosie's appearance on *Wheel of Fortune* along with a clip.

Beginning in the fall of 1998, O'Donnell appeared as a square on a newly syndicated version of *Hollywood Squares* during it's premiere week on the air. This adaptation was hosted by Tom Bergeron and fellow comedienne & future *View* co-hostess Whoopi Goldberg appeared as the center square. Rosie would then go on to appear on the series from time to time as a semi-regular. On one episode that aired in November 1998, she convinced the host, Tom Bergeron, to trade places with her for a round as she took the podium while he sat in her square.

In May 2000, O'Donnell was one of several participants to compete on a celebrity edition of the primetime game show *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?* (hosted by Regis Philbin) during it's first season on the air. She played on behalf of the For All Kids Foundation and won a HUGE $500,000 cash prize for them. Rosie was one of only two celebrity participants to have won more than $250,000 on behalf of charity; the other being fellow comedian & actor Drew Carey, who also won the $500,000 prize for his charity & appeared the day before O'Donnell (Carey would return to compete on another celebrity edition of *Millionaire*).

In 2007, Rosie expressed interest in wanting to replace Bob Barker as host of the CBS game show *The Price is Right* after Barker, having hosting the program for 35 years, retired from his hosting duties. When asked about the possibility of O'Donnell replacing him as the host of *Price*, Bob Barker responded by saying that Rosie "would make a fine host." and although it was reported he had "endorsed" her as a "possible successor", Barker said that he had no role in choosing his replacement. However, after an amount of time had passed, Rosie had announced on her blog that the possibilities of her becoming the new host of *The Price is Right* were not going to happen and noted she was reluctant to uproot her family from New York to California, where *Price* is recorded. Bob Barker was permanently replaced by comedian & actor Drew Carey as host of *The Price is Right* and continues to host the show to this present day.

Rosie's most recent appearances on the game show circuit was appearing as a panelist on the ABC primetime version of *Match Game*, hosted by Alec Baldwin as well as appearing for two episodes of Michael Strahan's version of *The $100,000 Pyramid* (both in 2016).

O'Donnell has also continue to appear in a number of guest starring roles on various television shows as well as hosting a number of awards shows & specials. From 1996-2003, she hosted the *Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards*. She also hosted Grammy Awards for two years in a row, 1999-2000, as well as hosting *The 54th Annual Tony Awards*, also in 2000. Some of Rosie's other appearances included guest starring roles on a number of shows which have included *The Nanny* (two episodes: as a cab driver named Cozette & as herself) *Ally McBeal*, *Spin City*, *Will & Grace*, *Judging Amy*, *Drop Dead Diva*, *Happily Divorced* (reuniting her with *The Nanny* star & friend Fran Drescher) & *Empire*. She also had recurring roles on shows such as the Showtime original series titled *Queer as Folk* (as Loretta Pye) in 2005 and the FX original series *Nip/Tuck* (as Dawn Budge) from 2006-2008.

In November 2016, Showtime announced O'Donnell was joining the cast of the comedy pilot *SMILF*. The series aired from November 5, 2017 to March 31, 2019 and Rosie received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the character, Tutu.

On April 3, 2019, it was announced that Rosie would play the role of Lisa Sheffer in the HBO television adaptation of Wally Lamb's *I Know This Much Is True*.

## Charitable Work

Over the course of her career, O'Donnell has developed a reputation for raising funds and her own philanthropy to charitable causes. In May 1996, Warner Books advanced O'Donnell $3 million to write a memoir. She used the money to seed her For All Kids Foundation to help institute national standards for day care across the country.

Since 1997, Rosie's For All Kids Foundation, overseen by Elizabeth Birch, has awarded more than $22 million in Early Childhood Care and Education program grants to over 900 nonprofit organizations. In October 2006, she was honored by the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. "It's our privilege to be honoring and hosting Rosie," said NYSPCC president David Stack in a statement. "Her Rosie's for All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to over 1,400 child-related organizations, and that's just one of her many impressive activities on behalf of children". A month later, *Nightline* aired a video report about the opening of The Children's Plaza and Family Center in Renaissance Village, a FEMA trailer park in Louisiana. This was an emergency response initiative of Rosie's For All Kids Foundation with the help of many local nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses, all efforts were to assist the families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

San Francisco public relations firm Fineman Associates awarded top prize to Procter & Gamble's designation of O'Donnell as "unkissable" in a promotion for Scope mouthwash on the 1997 annual list of the nation's worst public relations blunders. In response to the promotion, O'Donnell partnered with Warner–Lambert's competitor Listerine who donated bottles of mouthwash to the studio audience and donated $1,000 to charity every time a hosted guest would kiss her in exchange for O'Donnell promoting their product. On occasion, the guests would offer multiple kisses and People reported O'Donnell "smooched her way to more than $350,000."

In 2003, Rosie and her then-partner, Kelli O'Donnell, collaborated with Artistic Director Lori Klinger to create Rosie's Broadway Kids, dedicated to providing free instruction in music and dance to New York City public schools or students. Rosie's Broadway Kids serves more than 4,500 teachers, students, and their family members at 21 schools. Currently, programs are in Harlem, Midtown West, Chelsea, Lower East Side, East Village, and Chinatown. All net profits from O'Donnell's 2007 book *Celebrity Detox* are also being donated to Rosie's Broadway Kids.

In December 2006, at a one-night charity event on the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship, Elizabeth Birch, executive director for the Rosie's For All Kids Foundation, confirmed that $50 million from O'Donnell's five-year contract were donated in an irrevocable trust to charity. She is also reported to have contributed several hundred thousand dollars for rehabilitation therapies for war veterans who have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan wars. On an episode of *The Tyra Banks Show*, Tyra Banks had brought up to O'Donnell that people don't realize that she had given more than $100 million to charity. In May 2007, O'Donnell and Pogo.com announced a joint effort to raise money for Rosie's All Kids Foundation. EA, which owns Pogo.com, committed $30,000 and more money can be raised based on the amount of playing time people spend on certain games. They also held a sweepstakes in which winners get to fly to New York and meet O'Donnell and attend a charity function as her guest.

During the summer of 2007, O'Donnell was a guest on the multi-artist True Colors Tour, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada. The tour, sponsored by the gay cable channel Logo, began on June 8, 2007. Hosted by comedian Margaret Cho and headlined by Cyndi Lauper, the tour also included Debbie Harry, Erasure, The Gossip, Rufus Wainwright, The Dresden Dolls, The MisShapes, Indigo Girls, The Cliks and other special guests. Profits from the tour helped to benefit the Human Rights Campaign as well as P-FLAG and The Matthew Shepard Foundation.

She appeared again on True Colors Tour 2008.

## Personal Life, Marriages & Children

During her guest starring appearance on the sitcom *Will & Grace* that aired on January 31, 2002, O'Donnell played the role of a lesbian mom. A month later as part of her act at the Ovarian Cancer Research benefit at Caroline's Comedy Club, Rosie publicly came out as a lesbian, announcing "I'm a dyke!" "I don't know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing. ... People are confused, they're shocked like this is a big revelation to somebody." The announcement came two months before the end of her talk show and although she also cited the need to put a face to gays and lesbians, her primary reason was to bring attention to the gay adoption issue. O'Donnell is also a foster and adoptive mother. She protested against adoption agencies, particularly in Florida, that refused adoptive rights to gay and lesbian parents.

In March 2002, Rosie sat down for an interview with Diane Sawyer on *PrimeTime Thursday*. O'Donnell told *USA Today* that she chose to talk to Sawyer because she wanted an investigative piece on Florida's ban on gay adoption. She told Sawyer if that was done, "I would like to talk about my life and how (the case) pertains to me." She spoke about the two gay men in Florida who faced having a foster child they raised removed from their home. State law wouldn't let them adopt because Florida banned gay or bisexual people from adopting. O'Donnell's coming out drew criticism from some LGBT activists who cited her repeated references to being enamored of Tom Cruise on *The Rosie O'Donnell Show* as deceptive. She responded in her act stating, "I said I wanted him to mow my lawn and bring me a lemonade. I never said I wanted to blow him".

After leaving her show and coming out, O'Donnell returned to stand-up comedy roots as well as giving herself a new hairstyle. She told the press that her haircut was meant to mimic the haircut of former Culture Club backup singer Helen Terry.

Rosie was named 2002's "Person of the Year" by *The Advocate* and in May 2003, she became a regular columnist for the magazine. The magazine's editor-in-chief, Judy Wieder, stated, "Today, Rosie's long and brave journey has led her not only to the cover of the Advocate – Rosie was honored with the magazine's Person of the Year Award for 2002 – but now to its chorus of voices, as a columnist."

O'Donnell adopted her first child, Parker Jaren O'Donnell, as an infant in 1995.
Later, Kelli Carpenter also adopted Parker. Parker is an aficionado of military history and, in 2011, successfully lobbied his mother to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy.

In February 2004, O'Donnell married Kelli Carpenter, a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, in San Francisco two weeks after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her decision to go to San Francisco to marry Carpenter was seen as a show of defiance against then-U.S. President George W. Bush over his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. She said "We were both inspired to come here after the sitting President made the vile and hateful comments he made ... [O]ne thought ran through my mind on the plane out here – with liberty and justice for all". The couple was married by San Francisco Treasurer Susan Leal, one of the city's highest ranking lesbian officials, and serenaded by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. O'Donnell said during the trial over Rosie magazine she had decided to marry Carpenter, in part because even though they acted as spouses they legally were no closer than friends: "We applied for spousal privilege and were denied it by the state. As a result, everything that I said to Kelli, every letter that I wrote her, every e-mail, every correspondence and conversation was entered into the record ... I am now and will forever be a total proponent of gay marriage."

Together, Carpenter and O'Donnell have four children: Parker Jaren O'Donnell (born 1995), Chelsea Belle O'Donnell (born 1997), Blake Christopher O'Donnell (born 1999) and Vivienne Rose O'Donnell, who was born to Carpenter in 2002 through artificial insemination. In 2000, the family took in a foster child Mia (born in 1997), and announced intentions to adopt her. In 2001, the state of Florida removed Mia from their home, and O'Donnell has since worked extensively to bring an end to the Florida law prohibiting same-sex family adoption.

In mid-November 2009, O'Donnell disclosed that Carpenter had moved out of their home in 2007. Their official union had ended in August 2004 when their marriage was among the thousands annulled by the California Supreme Court, making divorce unnecessary.

Rosie then began dating 40-year-old executive-search consultant Michelle Rounds in mid-2011. On December 5, 2011, during a break in the taping of *The Rosie Show*, O'Donnell announced to her studio audience she and Rounds were engaged. The two married in a private ceremony in New York on June 9, 2012. In January 2013, the couple announced they had adopted a baby girl named Dakota.

In February 2015, representatives for O'Donnell confirmed she and Rounds had separated in November of the previous year. Shortly thereafter, it was Rosie who filed for divorce from Rounds after two years of marriage and their divorce was settled in October. O'Donnell was awarded full custody of two-year-old Dakota "Dax" O'Donnell. Sadly, two years after their divorce, Rounds committed suicide on September 15, 2017.

In August 2015, Rosie tweeted that her 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, had gone missing from their Nyack, New York home along with her therapy dog, Bear. Chelsea, who O'Donnell said suffered from mental illness (which Chelsea denied), was found a week later in Barnegat, New Jersey, with a 25-year-old man she met on Tinder. In a paid interview with *The Daily Mail*, Chelsea claimed that O'Donnell had kicked her out of the house, was smoking marijuana in the home, and that she had been mostly raised by nannies. Although it seemed like they reconciled, Chelsea revealed in an interview that she and O'Donnell had another falling out and that they are not on speaking terms.

## Health Problems

In the summer of 2000, O'Donnell suffered a staph infection after she accidentally cut the middle finger of her left hand with a knife while cutting a price tag off a fishing pole. The infection incapacitated her for weeks, and nearly resulted in doctors amputating her hand. She later quipped that George W. Bush was to blame for the infection, saying that she was preparing to go on a fishing trip at the time in order to avoid seeing Bush on television during the then-ongoing 2000 Republican National Convention. Rosie had acknowledged her struggles with recurrent, major depressive episodes during the fall and winter months consistent with seasonal affective disorder.

In August 2012, O'Donnell suffered a heart attack. She said an artery was 99 percent blocked and a stent was inserted. She later revealed on Twitter that, to reverse her heart disease, she would espouse the whole-foods, plant-based diet promoted by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.