Rosie O'Donnell

Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962)[2] is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series Star Search in 1984. After a series of television and film roles that introduced her to a larger national audience, O'Donnell hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, between 1996 and 2002, which won several Daytime Emmy Awards. During this period, she developed the nickname "Queen of Nice", as well as a reputation for philanthropic efforts.

Rosie O'Donnell
O'Donnell in 2006
Born
Roseann O'Donnell[1]

(1962-03-21) March 21, 1962
Commack, New York, U.S.
OccupationTelevision presenter, comedian, producer, actor, author
Years active1979–present
Spouse(s)
Kelli Carpenter
(m. 2004; void. 2004)

Michelle Rounds
(m. 2012; div. 2015)
Children5
RelativesDaniel J. O'Donnell (brother)
Websiterosie.com

From 2006 to 2007, O'Donnell endured a controversial run as the moderator on the daytime talk show The View, which included a public feud with Donald Trump and on-air disputes regarding the Bush administration's policies with the Iraq War. She hosted Rosie Radio on Sirius XM Radio between 2009 and 2011, and from 2011 to 2012 hosted a second, short-lived talk show on OWN, The Rosie Show. O'Donnell returned to The View in 2014, leaving after a brief five-month run due to personal issues. From 2017 to 2019, she starred on the Showtime comedy series SMILF.

In addition to comedy, film, and television, O'Donnell has also been a magazine editor, celebrity blogger, and author of several memoirs, including Find Me (2002) and Celebrity Detox (2007). She used the Find Me $3 million advance to establish her For All foundation and promote other charity projects, encouraging celebrities on her show to take part.

She has also been an outspoken advocate for lesbian rights and gay adoption issues. O'Donnell is a foster and adoptive mother. She was named The Advocate's 2002 Person of the Year; in May 2003, she became a regular contributor to the magazine. O'Donnell also continues to be a television producer and a collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family Vacations.

Early life

O'Donnell, the third of five children, was born and raised in Commack, Long Island, New York.[3][4] Her parents were homemaker Roseann Teresa (née Murtha; 1934–1973) and Edward Joseph O'Donnell (1933–2015), an electrical engineer who worked in the defense industry.[4] Edward had immigrated from County Donegal, Ireland during his childhood, and her mother was Irish American. O'Donnell was raised Roman Catholic.[1][5] Her older brother is Daniel J. O'Donnell, now a member of the New York State Assembly.[6] On March 17, 1973, four days before her 11th birthday, O'Donnell lost her mother to breast cancer.[2] While she attended Commack High School, O'Donnell was voted homecoming queen, prom queen, senior class president, and class clown.[3] During high school, 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.[2] After graduating in 1980, O'Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to Boston University before ultimately dropping out of college.[3]

Career

Early work

O'Donnell toured as a stand-up comedian in clubs from 1979 to 1984.[7] She got her first big break on Star Search, explaining on Larry King Live:[8]

I was 20 years old, and I was at a comedy club in Long Island. This woman came over to me and she said, I think you're funny. Can you give me your number? My dad is Ed McMahon. I was like, yeah, right. I gave her my father's phone number. I was living at home, I'm like, whatever. And about three days later, the talent booker from Star Search called and said, we're going to fly you out to L.A. ... I won, like, five weeks in a row. And it gave me national exposure.

O'Donnell at the 1992 Emmy Awards

After this success, she moved on to television sitcoms, making her series debut as Nell Harper's neighbor on Gimme a Break! in 1986.[9] In 1988, she joined music video station VH1's lineup of veejays.[9] She started hosting a series for VH1, Stand-up Spotlight, a showcase for up-and-coming comedians.[9] In 1992, she starred in Stand By Your Man, a Fox Network sitcom co-starring Melissa Gilbert.[10] The show bombed, just as O'Donnell's movie career took off. O'Donnell made her feature film debut in A League of Their Own (1992) alongside Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna.[5] She was originally considered for the role of Mary Sanderson in Disney's Hocus Pocus, but it was ultimately given to Kathy Najimy. O'Donnell claimed on her blog that she turned down the offer to work with Bette Midler because she refused to portray a frightening evil witch. Throughout her career, she has taken on an eclectic range of roles: she appeared in Sleepless in Seattle as Meg Ryan's character's best friend; as Betty Rubble in the live-action film adaptation of The Flintstones with John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, and Rick Moranis; as one of Timothy Hutton's co-stars in Beautiful Girls; as a federal agent comedically paired with Dan Aykroyd in Exit to Eden; as the voice of a tomboyish female gorilla named Terk in Disney's Tarzan; and as a baseball-loving nun in M. Night Shyamalan's Wide Awake.

O'Donnell was considered for the role of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.[11]

1996–2002: The Rosie O'Donnell Show

In 1996, she began hosting a daytime talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, for her production company KidRo Productions.[12][13] The show proved very successful, winning multiple Emmy Awards,[14] and earning O'Donnell the title of "The Queen of Nice" for her style of light-hearted banter with her guests and interactions with the audience.[13] As part of her playful banter with her studio audience, O'Donnell often launched koosh balls at the crowd and camera.[15] She also professed an infatuation with Tom Cruise.[3]

With New York City as the show's home base, 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.

After the Columbine shootings, O'Donnell became an outspoken supporter of gun control and a major figure in the Million Mom March.[16] During the April 19, 1999, broadcast of her talk show, she stated, "You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison."[17] O'Donnell previously had remarked, "I don't personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem."[18] In May 1999, a month after the Columbine shootings, O'Donnell interviewed Tom Selleck, who was promoting The Love Letter. O'Donnell interrogated him about his recent unpaid commercial for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and questioned him about the NRA's position on the use of "assault weapons". She said at the end of the segment the conversation had "not gone the way I 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."[19][20] Ironically, O'Donnell at that time was a multi-million dollar paid spokesperson for 5 years for Kmart, which was the largest volume firearms retailer in the United States.[21][22] 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.[23]

Later in 1999, O'Donnell discontinued her contract with Kmart as their spokeswoman, as gun enthusiasts complained that she should not be the spokesperson for the largest gun retailer. O'Donnell countered that Kmart sells hunting rifles, not handguns or assault weapons and does so legally, which she supports. Both Kmart and O'Donnell denied publicly that Kmart had terminated the contract.[24] In May 2000, O'Donnell's bodyguard applied for a concealed firearm permit. O'Donnell stated that the security firm contracted by Warner Bros. requested the gun. O'Donnell stated that because of threats, she and her family need protection.[25]

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Broadway and tourism in New York City was down and many shows were in danger of closing. O'Donnell was among many in the entertainment field who encouraged viewers to visit and support the performing arts. She announced that she would donate 1 million dollars for aid in the rescue efforts and encouraged other celebrities and citizens alike to "give till it hurts".[26]

In 2002, she left her talk show.[27] The show was replaced by The Caroline Rhea Show, with comedian Caroline Rhea, which ran for one additional season.

O'Donnell was a guest star on an episode of HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm entitled "The Bowtie".[28]

2006–2007: The View

O'Donnell at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival premiere for the I Am Because We Are documentary, about the millions of orphans in the African country of Malawi who lost parents and siblings to HIV and AIDS. Her passion for protecting children has led her to be outspoken on issues affecting them, including world affairs and adoption.

In September 2006, O'Donnell replaced Meredith Vieira as a co-host and moderator of The View, a daytime women-oriented talk show.[29] Star Jones, a co-host on the show, quit, with some speculating Jones's conservative views would be in constant tension with O'Donnell's more liberal counterpoint. O'Donnell 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.) O'Donnell is credited with keeping the show's "buzz factor up".[30] She is also credited with making it more news-focused, though it still embraced the "fluff" of daytime TV talk shows (celebrities, fashion, and food).[31] Despite an overall downward trend for most daytime broadcast shows, ratings rose by 27% during O'Donnell's first year on The View.[32] The show was 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.[32] O'Donnell moderated the opening "Hot Topics" portion of the show, where news items were discussed. O'Donnell gave the show a more political slant, and she and fellow comic Joy Behar often gave strong opinions against former President Bush's domestic and foreign policies, including the Iraq War. As a conservative counterpoint, Elisabeth Hasselbeck would usually support the Bush administration's policies and the two would get into an adversarial give-and-take.

Encouraged by the show to be outspoken, O'Donnell sometimes provoked debate, at one time stating "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam."[33] On the February 24, 2003, episode of Phil Donahue's talk show, O'Donnell referred to the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston resulting in $157 million awarded to 983 claimants,[34] 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."[35]

O'Donnell joked about communion rituals alongside co-host Behar's drunk priest comments.[36] On April 19, 2007, the panel discussed the Supreme Court of the United States's ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart, a decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. O'Donnell cited a Florynce Kennedy quote, "If men could get pregnant abortion would be a sacrament" and asked rhetorically "How many Supreme Court judges are Catholic?" and "How about separation of church and state?"[37] Some conservative commentators deemed her statements "anti-Catholic bigotry" and suggested that such statements against other religions would not be tolerated.[37][38][39][40] O'Donnell's outspokenness and spontaneousness sometimes led to her views being recirculated by other media outlets, often surprising The View co-hosts including O'Donnell.[41][42][43] Frequently portrayed unfavorably by conservative media outlets and what she deemed as Republican pundits,[44] O'Donnell lamented that they were focusing on her comments instead of more important national and world issues.[42]

On December 5, 2006, O'Donnell used a series of ching chongs to imitate newscasters in China.[45][46] Vanessa Hua of the San Francisco Chronicle expressed disappointment in O'Donnell, given the comedian's championing of LGBT rights.[47] On December 14, O'Donnell apologized to those she offended, explaining that "Some people have told me it's as bad as the n-word. I was like, really? I didn't know that."[48] O'Donnell warned that "there's a good chance I'll do something like that again, probably in the next week, not on purpose. Only 'cause it's how my brain works." Time called it a "pseudo-apology".[47][49] O'Donnell later wrote in Celebrity Detox that "I wish I had been a bit more pure in my public apology."[50]

In December 2006, O'Donnell criticized Donald 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.[51][52] O'Donnell 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."[52] In response, Trump began a "vicious" mass media blitz in which he appeared on various television shows, either in person or by phone, threatening to sue O'Donnell (he never did).[53] He called her names, threatened to take away her partner Kelli, and claimed that Barbara Walters regretted hiring her.[53][54][55][56] 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.[57] "I had pain and hurt and rejection," O'Donnell said, "sometimes [my emotions] overwhelm me. Sometimes I get flooded."[57] Walters denied that she was unhappy with O'Donnell, saying, "I have never regretted, nor do I now, the hiring of Rosie O'Donnell."[56]

On April 25, 2007, ABC announced that O'Donnell would be leaving the show before the end of the year because of a failure to reach agreement on a new contract.[58]

O'Donnell condemned many of the Bush administration's policies, especially the war in Iraq and the resulting occupation.[59] 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".[60][61] She 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-host Hasselbeck, as well as "the most-discussed moment of her professional life."[57] On May 17, 2007, 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?"[62] Conservative commentators criticized O'Donnell's statements, saying that she was comparing American soldiers to terrorists.[44] On May 23, 2007, a heated discussion ensued, in part, because of what O'Donnell perceived as Elisabeth Hasselbeck's unwillingness to defend O'Donnell from the criticisms; O'Donnell asked Hasselbeck, "Do you believe I think our troops are terrorists?" Hasselbeck answered in the negative but also stated "Defend your own insinuations."[44][63][64][65] O'Donnell 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."[57] O'Donnell stated that Republican pundits were mischaracterising her statements and the right-wing media would portray her as a bully, attacking "innocent pure Christian Elisabeth" whenever they disagreed.[44] O'Donnell decided to leave 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."[57] O'Donnell and ABC agreed to cut short her contract agreement on May 25, 2007.[66] ABC News reported that her arguments with Hasselbeck brought the show its best ratings ever.[67]

In May 2007, Time magazine included O'Donnell in their annual list of the 100 most influential people.[68][69] O'Donnell was 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."[70]

In 2008, The View won an Emmy for "Outstanding Special Class Writing" for a specially themed Autism episode that O'Donnell helped create. Janette Barber, O'Donnell's longtime friend and producer/writer of The Rosie O'Donnell Show, accepted the award on behalf of herself and the other two winners, Christian McKiernan and Andrew Smith.[71][72]

2007–2009: Jahero, America, Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Rosie Radio

In March 2007, O'Donnell started a video blog, Jahero, on her website Rosie.com answering fans questions, giving behind the scenes information and serving as a video diary. Originally featuring only O'Donnell and her hair and make-up artist Helene Macaulay they were soon joined by her writer from The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Janette Barber.[73] Called Jahero, a name composed of the first two letters of each of their first names, they occasionally had short cameo appearances by View co-hosts Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters. Jenny McCarthy appeared once briefly, as has Hasselbeck's mother-in-law and O'Donnell's mother-in-law, her (now) ex-wife Kelli's mother. Kathy Griffin also appeared, where she read some of the questions. It became so popular that O'Donnell and her creative team considered an "on the road" version of the video blog using fan-submitted suggestions. O'Donnell was the front runner for the "best celebrity blogger" category in the 2007 Blogger's Choice Awards which she won.[74]

O'Donnell expressed interest in replacing long-time host Bob Barker when he retired from CBS's game show The Price Is Right. Barker was a frequent guest on her talk show and told reporters that she "would make a fine host." Although it was reported he had "endorsed" her as a "possible successor", Barker said that he had no role in choosing his replacement.[75][76] In June 2007, she announced on her blog it was not going to happen and noted she was reluctant to uproot her family to move to California.

In 2008, O'Donnell starred in and executive produced America, a Lifetime channel original movie in which she plays the therapist of the title character, a 16-year-old boy aging out of the foster care system. The film is based on the E.R. Frank book of the same name.[77]

In October 2009, she appeared in the original cast of Love, Loss, and What I Wore.[78]

In November 2009, "Rosie Radio", a daily two-hour show with O'Donnell discussing news and events on Sirius XM Radio, premiered. O'Donnell said she was approached by the company after she appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show.[79][80] The radio show ended in June 2011.

In 2009, O'Donnell made another guest appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, where she beat up Larry twice, in an episode titled Denise Handicapped.[28]

2011–2012: The Rosie Show, Oprah Winfrey Network

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

In fall 2011, O'Donnell began full-time work on her new show, The Rosie Show, for OWN. The show taped at the Chicago studio formerly home to The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show debuted on October 10, 2011, to generally positive reviews.[81]

OWN canceled The Rosie Show on March 16, 2012, with the last show taped March 20, on the eve of O'Donnell's 50th birthday. The final show aired on OWN on March 29, 2012. 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.[82]

O'Donnell responded to the cancellation by thanking her viewers and the host city of Chicago:

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![82]

In 2011, O'Donnell made another guest appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, competing for the affection of a bisexual woman with Larry in an episode called "The Bi-Sexual".[28][83]

2013–2016: TV guest starring roles, recurring on The Fosters and return to The View

In 2013, O'Donnell appeared in a number of television shows. First, she played "brash but astute" reporter Dottie Shannon in an episode of Bomb Girls,[84] followed by playing the voice of the Bouncing Bumble Queen in Jake and the Never Land Pirates.[85] After that, also in 2013, she appeared in two episodes of Smash as herself.[86] That same year she also appeared as herself in an episode of Impractical Jokers called "Everything's Rosie".[87]

In 2014, O'Donnell landed a reoccurring role as Rita Hendricks on The Fosters, "a tough yet compassionate woman who works for the foster care system and becomes a mentor to a member of the Foster family."[88] The character lasted through their 2016 season.[89]

In the fall of 2014, O'Donnell returned to The View as a co-host, with a newly re-vamped version of the show, along with Whoopi Goldberg returning as moderator and new co-hosts Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace.[90] On February 6, 2015, representatives for O'Donnell confirmed she would once again exit the panel, citing her reasons as a "personal decision".[91] In a statement, made to The Hollywood Reporter, O'Donnell said, "[My health] got a little bit worse right before the holidays — [my doctor] was kind of concerned. ... I can't really fix [my personal life] right away, but I can fix [my job]."[92]

In 2015, O'Donnell made a cameo in Pitch Perfect 2, playing a co-host on The View. Deadline called the cameo "a bit that already seems dated."[93] That same year, she appeared in an episode of Empire, playing Pepper O'Leary, "a tough criminal who shared a cell for years with Cookie Lyon."[94] In preparation for the role, she hired an acting coach and stated, "I prepared for this like I've never prepared for anything in my career, because I didn't want to disappoint and I understood the pace at which they work."[94] O'Donnell also appeared as herself in two documentaries that same year. In April 2015, Roseanne For President! was released, a film about Roseanne Barr's presidential bid in 2012. O'Donnell appeared in the film alongside Michael Moore and Sandra Bernhard.[95] In September 2015, the documentary Everything Is Copy was released, a film by Jacob Bernstein about his mother Nora Ephron. O'Donnell appeared in the documentary to help "bring his mother into focus" along with a number of other celebrities.[96]

In 2016, O'Donnell made a two-episode appearance in the CBS series Mom, playing Jeanine, "the ex-girlfriend of Bonnie (Allison Janney)".[97] That same year, she was also a regular panelist on Match Game and appeared in one episode of The $100,000 Pyramid, where she competed against Kathy Najimy.[98] Later that year, O'Donnell also played the role of the gym teacher in Hairspray Live![99]

2017–present: Return to full-time acting on SMILF, I Know This Much Is True and American Gigolo

In November 2016, Showtime announced she had joined the cast of the comedy pilot SMILF.[100] The series aired from November 5, 2017, until March 31, 2019, and O'Donnell received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Tutu.

On April 3, 2019, it was announced that O'Donnell would play the role of Lisa Sheffer in the HBO television adaptation of Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True.[101]

In 2021, O'Donnell guest starred on the series Run the World and The L Word: Generation Q. On June 15, 2021, it was announced that she would star as Detective Sunday, alongside Jon Bernthal, in a series reboot of American Gigolo on Showtime, premiering in 2022.[102]

Other ventures

Rosie magazine

In 2000, O'Donnell partnered with the publishers of McCall's to revamp the magazine as Rosie's McCall's (or, more commonly, Rosie).[103] The magazine was launched as a competitor to fellow talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey's monthly magazine O. Rosie covered issues including breast cancer, foster care, and other matters of concern to O'Donnell. In the September 2000 issue, she shared that "she has struggled with depression her entire life" and decided to start medications when she realized her fears were affecting her family.[104] With a strong start and a circulation close to 3.5 million, things looked promising, but the magazine stumbled as conflicts emerged between O'Donnell and the editors.[105] The contract gave O'Donnell control over editorial process and editorial staff but veto power remained with publisher Gruner+Jahr USA.[106] O'Donnell quit the magazine in September 2002, following a dispute over editorial control.[106] "If I'm going to have my name and my brand on the corner of a magazine, it has to be my vision" she told People.[107]

Rosie magazine folded in 2003. In late 2003, O'Donnell and the publishers each sued the other for breach of contract. The publishers said that, by removing herself from the magazine's publication, she was in breach of contract. The trial received considerable press coverage. O'Donnell would often give brief press interviews outside of the courtroom responding to various allegations. Of note was a former magazine colleague and breast cancer survivor who testified that O'Donnell said to her on the phone that people who lie "get sick and they get cancer. If they keep lying, they get it again".[108] O'Donnell apologized the next day and stated, "I'm sorry I hurt her the way I did, that was not my intention." The judge dismissed the case, ruling that neither side should receive damages.[109]

Books

In 1997, Rosie released the children's book Kids are Punny: Jokes Sent by Kids to the Rosie O'Donnell Show, which contained jokes she had received from children. A sequel titled Kids are Punny 2: More Jokes Sent by Kids to the Rosie O'Donnell Show was released a year later in 1998, and an HBO special was made based on the books. In April 2002, O'Donnell released Find Me, a combination of memoir, mystery and detective story with an underlying interest in reuniting birth mothers with their children.[110] In addition to cataloging her childhood and early adulthood, the book delved into O'Donnell's relationship with a woman with dissociative identity disorder who posed as an under-aged teen who had become pregnant by rape. The book reached number two on The New York Times bestseller list.

In October 2007, she released Celebrity Detox, her second memoir which focuses on the struggles with leaving fame behind, noting her exits from The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The View.

R Family Vacations

In 2003, O'Donnell and Carpenter partnered with travel entrepreneur Gregg Kaminsky to launch R Family Vacations catering to LGBT families, "the very first all gay and lesbian family vacation packages" where "gays and lesbians can bring their kids, their friends, and their parents."[111] Although O'Donnell is not involved on a day-to-day basis, she does contribute to the creative aspects of "advertising and marketing materials" and initiated the idea for the company when she filled in as a last-minute replacement headliner on one of Kaminsky's Atlantis Events gay cruises and also came up with the name "R Family Vacations".[112] On July 11, 2004, the first cruise was held with 1600 passengers[113] including 600 children.[114] In addition to traditional entertainment and recreational activities, the company partnered with Provincetown's Family Pride, a 25-year-old Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for LGBT families[115] to host discussions on "adoption, insemination, surrogacy, and everything else that would be helpful to gay parenting."[116] All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise, a documentary film about the trip debuted on HBO on April 6, 2006, and was nominated for three Emmy Awards. Of the experience, O'Donnell stated "we didn't really realize the magic that was going to take place. People who had never met another gay family met other families and it was powerful."[114]

Taboo

In late 2003, O'Donnell brought the musical Taboo to Broadway. She hired Charles Busch to re-write the book, and the story became "bitchier" and more focused on the rise to fame of the character based on Boy George.[117] It closed on February 8, 2004, after about 100 performances and "mostly bad" reviews.[118] O'Donnell described the show's production as "by far the most fulfilling experience of my career".[118] She has stated that she intends to bring the show back to Broadway, although Scott Miller writes that people are hesitant to get involved after the "train wreck" of the original production.[117]

Charitable work

Over 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.[107] She used the money to seed her For All Kids Foundation to help institute national standards for day care across the country.[107]

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.[119] On October 30, 2006, she was honored by the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.[120] "It's our privilege to be honoring and hosting Rosie," said NYSPCC president David Stack in a statement.[120] "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."[120] In November 2006, 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.[121] 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.[122] 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.[3] On occasion, the guests would offer multiple kisses, and People reported O'Donnell "smooched her way to more than $350,000."[3]

In 2003, O'Donnell and 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.[123] 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.[50]

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.[124] 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 The Tyra Banks Show,[125] Banks brought up to O'Donnell that people don't realize that O'Donnell has given more than $100 million to charity.[126] In May 2007, O'Donnell and Pogo.com announced a joint effort to raise money for Rosie's All Kids Foundation.[127] 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.[127] 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.[127]

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.[128] 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.[129] She appeared again on True Colors Tour 2008.

Personal life

O'Donnell was a resident of Nyack, New York, after the purchase in 1996 of "Pretty Penny", a Victorian river home that had previously served as the home of Helen Hayes. O'Donnell sold the home to businessman Edward M. Kopko in 2000.[130] She resides in South Nyack, New York,[131] and owns a home in West Palm Beach, Florida.[132]

O'Donnell is a Democrat.[133] She has contributed funds to multiple political campaigns, including to the campaign to elect Senator Doug Jones of Alabama.[134]

On numerous occasions, O'Donnell has been outspoken about controversial topics. In 2007, she announced her opinion concerning the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, in which she questioned the NIST conclusions, and alleged the U.S. government's involvement in the event.[135]

Sexual orientation

In her January 31, 2002, appearance on the sitcom Will & Grace, she played a lesbian mom. A month later as part of her act at the Ovarian Cancer Research benefit at Caroline's Comedy Club O'Donnell 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."[136] The announcement came two months before the end of her talk show. Although she also cited the need to put a face to gays and lesbians, her primary reason was to bring attention to LGBTQ adoption issues. O'Donnell is a foster and adoptive mother. She protested against adoption agencies, particularly in Florida, that refused adoptive rights to gay and lesbian parents.

Diane Sawyer interviewed O'Donnell in a March 14, 2002, episode of 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 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 couples from adopting.[136] O'Donnell's coming out drew criticism from some LGBTQ activists who cited her repeated references to being enamored of Tom Cruise on The Rosie O'Donnell Show as deceptive.[136] 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."[137] After leaving her show and coming out, O'Donnell returned to stand-up comedy and cut her hair. O'Donnell told the press that her haircut was meant to mimic the haircut of former Culture Club backup singer Helen Terry.[138]

O'Donnell was named 2002's Person of the Year by The Advocate, and in May 2003 she became a regular columnist for the magazine.[139] 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."[139]

In September 2018, O'Donnell was criticized for using a "gay slur" in a September 26 tweet referring to Senator Lindsey Graham for his support of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The quote was: "'f-- u u closeted idiot – this is the patriarchy exposed – this is reality deal with it !!#NoKavanaughConfirmation #NotMyPresident'".[140] Kavanaugh was eventually confirmed.

Marriages and children

O'Donnell adopted her first child, Parker Jaren O'Donnell, as an infant in 1995.[9][141][142] 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.[143][144]

On February 26, 2004, O'Donnell married Carpenter,[145] a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, in San Francisco two weeks after 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-President George W. Bush over his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. She said in 2004, "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 Social justice for all."[146][147] 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.[146] 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."[146]

Carpenter and O'Donnell have four children together.[9][148] 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.[149][150]

In mid-November 2009, O'Donnell disclosed that Carpenter had moved out of their home in 2007. Their marriage had ended in August 2004 when it was among the thousands voided by the California Supreme Court.[151][152]

O'Donnell 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 that she and Rounds were engaged.[153] The two married in a private ceremony in New York on June 9, 2012.[154] On January 9, 2013, the couple announced they had adopted a baby girl.[155] On February 6, 2015, representatives for O'Donnell confirmed she and Rounds had separated in November of the previous year. In February 2015, O'Donnell filed for divorce from Rounds after two years of marriage.[91] Their divorce was settled in October 2015.[156] O'Donnell was awarded full custody of the child.[157] Rounds died by suicide on September 15, 2017.[158]

In August 2015, O'Donnell tweeted that her 17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, had gone missing from their Nyack, New York, home along with her therapy dog.[159] Chelsea was found a week later in Barnegat, New Jersey.

Health

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.[59] The infection incapacitated her for weeks and nearly resulted in doctors amputating her hand.[160] 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 to avoid seeing Bush on television during the then-ongoing 2000 Republican National Convention.[59] O'Donnell has acknowledged her struggles with recurrent major depressive episodes during the fall and winter months consistent with seasonal affective disorder.[161]

O'Donnell suffered a heart attack in mid-August 2012. She said an artery was 99 percent blocked and a stent was inserted.[162][163] She later revealed on Twitter that to reverse her heart disease, she would espouse the whole-foods, plant-based diet promoted by Caldwell Esselstyn.[164]

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards
  • 1997 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show nominated
  • 1997 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 1998 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 1998 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won (tied with Oprah Winfrey)
  • 1998 Outstanding Writing – Special Class, The Rosie O'Donnell Show nominated
  • 1999 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 1999 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 1999 Outstanding Writing – Special Class, The Rosie O'Donnell Show nominated
  • 2000 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 2000 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 2001 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 2001 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won (tied with Regis Philbin)
  • 2002 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 2002 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Rosie O'Donnell Show won
  • 2007 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The View nominated
Emmy Awards
  • 1995 Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, Rosie O'Donnell (stand-up comedy special) nominated
  • 1996 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, The Larry Sanders Show nominated
  • 1999 Outstanding Children's Program, Kids Are Punny nominated
  • 1999 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, 52nd Annual Tony Awards won
  • 2006 Outstanding Nonfiction Special, All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise nominated
Kids' Choice Awards
  • 1995 Favorite Movie Actress, The Flintstones won[165][166]
  • 2000 Hall of Fame Award
Tony Award
  • 2014 Isabelle Stevenson Award "for her commitment to arts education for New York City's public school children."
Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards
  • 2002 Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.[167]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1986–87 Gimme a Break! Maggie O'Brien Cast member
1988–91 Stand-Up Spotlight Host Also producer
1992 Beverly Hills, 90210 Herself Episode: "Destiny Rides Again"
Stand By Your Man Lorraine Popowski 6 episodes
1994 The Ren & Stimpy Show Scout Leader (voice) Episode: "Eat My Cookies"
Living Single Sheri Episode: "There's No Ship Like Kinship"
1995 Bless This House Peg Episode: "I Am Not My Sister's Keeper"
The Larry Sanders Show Herself Episode: "Eight"
1996–2002 The Rosie O'Donnell Show Host Also producer/executive producer
1996 The Nanny Cozette/Herself 2 episodes
Night Stand Herself Episode: "Is Bigger Better?"
1997 The Twilight of the Golds Jackie TV movie
Suddenly Susan Herself Episode: "The Ways and Means"
1997–2001 Spin City Episode: "An Affair to Remember"
1998 Blue's Clues Episode: "Blue's Birthday"
Murphy Brown Ann Marie Delany Secretary No. 92 Episode: "A Man and a Woman"; uncredited
1999 Jackie's Back Herself Cameo
Time of Your Life Archer Fitzwith's Receptionist Episode: ""The Time She Came to New Yor"; uncreditedk
Ally McBeal Dr. Hooper Episode: "Let's Dance"
2000 Third Watch Paramedic Episode: "Officer Involved"
The Practice Wedding Consultant Episode: "Settling"
2002 Will & Grace Bonnie Episode: "Dyeing Is Easy, Comedy Is Hard"
2003 Judging Amy Judge Nancy Paul Episode: "Judging Eric"
2005 Riding the Bus with My Sister Beth Simon TV movie; also executive producer
Queer as Folk Loretta Pye Recurring role
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise Herself Also executive producer
2005–11 Curb Your Enthusiasm Recurring role
2006–07 The View Moderator
2006–08 Nip/Tuck Dawn Budge Recurring role
2008 Little Britain USA Herself Season 1, episode 1
Rosie Live Also executive producer
Christmas in Rockefeller Center 2008
2009 America Dr. Maureen Brennan TV movie; also producer
2009–10 Drop Dead Diva Judge Madeline Summers 4 episodes
2011 Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Episode: "Rosie O'Donnell"
The Doc Club with Rosie O'Donnell Host
2011–12 The Rosie Show Also executive producer
Web Therapy Maxine DeMaine Recurring role; 4 episodes
2012 Happily Divorced Katy O'Grady Episode: "Mother's Day"
2013 Bomb Girls Dottie Shannon Episode: "Something Fierce"
Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates Bouncing Bumble Queen (voice) Episode: "Follow the Bouncing Bumble!/Sandy and the Clams"
Smash Herself 2 episodes
Impractical Jokers Episode: "Everything's Just Rosie"
2014–15 The View Co-host
2014–18 The Fosters Rita Hendricks Recurring role
2015 Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up Herself Stand-up comedy special on HBO
Empire Pepper O'Leary Episode: "Sinned Against"
2016 Mom Jeanine 2 episodes
Match Game Herself Recurring panelist
Hairspray Live! The Gym Teacher TV special
2016–19 The $100,000 Pyramid Herself 3 episodes
2017 When We Rise Del Martin 2 episodes
Difficult People Vanessa Episode: "Code Change"
2017–19 American Dad! Townie (voice) 2 episodes
SMILF Tutu Main cast; 18 episodes
2020 I Know This Much Is True Lisa Sheffer Main cast; 5 episodes
2021 Run the World Dr. Nancy Josephson Episode: "My Therapist Says..."
The L Word: Generation Q Carrie 4 episodes
2022 Russian Doll Subway announcer (voice) Recurring role; 6 episodes
A League of Their Own Vi Episode: "Stealing Home"
American Gigolo Detective Sunday Main cast

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 A League of Their Own Doris Murphy
1993 Sleepless in Seattle Becky
Another Stakeout A.D.A. Gina Garrett
Fatal Instinct The Pet Shop Lady
1994 Car 54, Where Are You? Lucille Toody
I'll Do Anything Make-Up Person
The Flintstones Betty Rubble
Exit to Eden Sheila Kingston
1995 Now and Then Roberta Martin
Beautiful Girls Gina Barrisano
1996 Harriet the Spy Ole Golly
A Very Brady Sequel Herself Cameo
1998 Wide Awake Sister Terry
1999 Get Bruce Herself Documentary
Tarzan Terk Voice
2000 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Octopus Voice
2001 Artists and Orphans: A True Drama Narrator
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Herself Archive footage
The Party's Over Documentary
2005 The Lady in Question is Charles Busch
ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway
Pursuit of Equality
2006 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise Documentary; executive producer
2015 Pitch Perfect 2 The View Host

Award ceremonies

  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (Host) (1996–2003)
  • 54th Annual Tony Awards (Host) (2000)
  • 41st Annual Grammy Awards (Host) (1999)
  • 42nd Annual Grammy Awards (Host) (2000)

Radio

  • Rosie Radio SIRIUS XM (2009–11)

Theater

  • Grease (1994) as Betty Rizzo at the Eugene O'Neill Theater
  • Seussical (2001) (replacement for David Shiner)
  • Pippin (2004) (World AIDS Day benefit concert)
  • Fiddler on the Roof (2004) (replacement for Andrea Martin in 2005) as Golde
  • No, No, Nanette (2008) (for Encores!)
  • Love, Loss, and What I Wore (2009)
  • Good for Otto by David Rabe (Off-Broadway, 2018), left production prior to opening due to illness[168]
  • The Music Man (the Kennedy Center, 2019) as Mrs. Paroo

Bibliography

  • Find Me (2002)
  • Celebrity Detox (2007)
  • Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U: 100 Easy Projects the Whole Family Can Enjoy All Year Long (2008)

Children's books

  • Kids are Punny: Jokes Sent by Kids to the Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997)
  • Kids are Punny 2: More Jokes Sent by Kids to the Rosie O'Donnell Show (1998)

Discography

Year Album Chart positions
US Holiday US
1999 A Rosie Christmas 1 20
2000 Another Rosie Christmas 3 45
Year Single US Country Album
2000 "Santa on the Rooftop" (with Trisha Yearwood) 72 A Rosie Christmas

See also

  • LGBT culture in New York City
  • List of LGBT people from New York City

References

  1. Parish, James Robert (January 1998). Rosie: The Rosie O'Donnell Story. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 12. ISBN 0-7867-0542-6.
  2. "Rosie O'Donnell Biography". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Television Networks). Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  3. "Rosie O'Donnell". People. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  4. "Rosie O'Donnell Biography (1962–)". Film Reference. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  5. Lipton, James (host) (October 23, 2005). "Rosie O'Donnell". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 11. Episode 20. Bravo.
  6. Peters, Jeremy (May 11, 2009). "Assemblyman Makes Gay Marriage Bill Personal". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  7. Rosie O'Donnell profile, E! Online
  8. "Highlights of Interviews With Rosie O'Donnell". Larry King Live. CNN. March 16, 2002. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  9. Wang, Julia. "Rosie O'Donnell Biography". People. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  10. Peterson, Bettelou (February 24, 1993). "Gilbert, O'Donnell were in 'Stand by Your Man'". The Beaver County Times. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  11. "Seinfeld: The Actresses Who Almost Played Elaine Benes". ScreenRant. January 1, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  12. Bing, Jonathan (November 17, 2000). "McCall's relaunch is Rosie". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  13. Timberg, Bernard M.; Erler, Bob (May 15, 2002). Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show. University of Texas Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-292-78176-4. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  14. O'Neil, Tom (March 23, 2010). "Can Rosie O'Donnell grab her old Emmy crown from Ellen DeGeneres?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  15. Chetwynd, Josh (May 3, 2011). The Secret History of Balls: The Stories Behind the Things We Love to Catch, Whack, Throw, Kick, Bounce and Bat. Penguin Group. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-101-51487-0. Retrieved February 18, 2014. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell made flinging Koosh Balls into her audience a staple on her talk show, which aired from 1996 to 2002.
  16. Paulson, Amy (May 8, 2000). "'Million Mom March' organizers hope to spur congressional action on gun legislation". CNN. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  17. Gallant, Paul; Eisen, Joanne; Kopel, Dave (January 24, 2002). "Her Own Bodyguard". National Review. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  18. Silverman, Stephen (September 11, 1998). "A Bodyguard for Rosie's Kid". People. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
  19. "TRANSCRIPT: Tom Selleck Visits "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"". NRA Winning Team. Archived from the original on October 4, 1999. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  20. Otherone. "Transcript of Tom Selleck & Rosie O'Donnell's NRA Discussion". JLRweb. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  21. "ROSIE O'DONNELL CALLS IT QUITS WITH KMART". South Florida Sentinel.
  22. "O'Donnell, NRA conflict over Kmart ads". Variety. August 20, 1999.
  23. "Report: Lyrics Riled Rosie". People. March 1, 1999. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
  24. Fink, Mitchell; Rubin, Lauren (November 19, 1999). "Rosie Sticks to Her Guns by Unloading Kmart Gig". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  25. Johnson, J. A. Jr. (May 25, 2000). "Request for gun by O'Donnell bodyguard raises concern". The Advocate Online. Southern Connecticut Newspaper. Archived from the original on June 20, 2000. Retrieved June 16, 2007.
  26. "O'donnell donates $1 million in aid". Amarillo Globe-News. Associated Press. September 20, 2001. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  27. Williams, Jeannie (February 27, 2002). "Rosie, coy on TV, 'comes out' on stage". USA Today. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  28. Staff, The Ringer (March 23, 2020). "Every Episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' Ranked". The Ringer. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  29. Steinberg, Jacques (April 29, 2006). "Rosie O'Donnell to Join the Cast of 'The View'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  30. "The Future of The View" TV Guide, June 3, 2006. Retrieved on June 5, 2007.
  31. Tucker, Ken (March 2, 2007). "The View Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  32. Adalian, Josef (December 7, 2006). "O'Donnell brings big ratings to 'The View'". Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  33. "Ratings, conflict up with O'Donnell". LA Times. December 23, 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  34. Mozingo, Joe (July 16, 2007). "Disagreements persist despite abuse settlement". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  35. "2015: Rosie O'Donnell leaves 'The View' (Again)". out.com. October 6, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  36. "'Scarborough Country' for October 2". NBC News. October 3, 2006. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  37. Crawford Greenburg, Jan (April 24, 2007). "Abortion Ruling Sparks a Backlash for Catholic Justices". ABC News. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  38. Zagano, Phyllis (April 27, 2007). "Abortion debate brings anti-Catholicism into focus". The Kansas City Star.
  39. Reinhard, David (May 9, 2007). "How many Supreme Court judges are Catholic?" (PDF). Idaho Mountain Express. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  40. "Out Of 'View' After A Year of Fireworks, Rambling Rosie's Hanging Up Her Coffee Cup". Chicago Tribune. April 26, 2007. p. 40.
  41. Stanley, Alessandra (April 27, 2007). "The Drama of Daytime: Friendships, Feuds and Fury". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  42. Martin, Ed (March 29, 2007). "Rosie O'Donnell Says Viewers Should Look Outside the U.S. for Their News". Media Village. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  43. "Hot Topics", The View, December 4, 2006.
  44. "Hot Topics", The View, May 23, 2007.
  45. Kelly, Liz (April 25, 2007). "Timeline: A Brief Compendium of Rosie Quotes". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  46. Bonisteel, Sara (December 11, 2006). "Asian Leaders Angered by Rosie O'Donnell's 'Ching Chong' Comments". Fox News. Retrieved August 28, 2010. "The View" co-host is in hot water for using the expression "ching chong" to describe Chinese people talking about Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on her show.
  47. Hua, Vanessa (December 15, 2006). "O'Donnell apologizes for Chinese parody / But comedian warns she is likely to spoof languages again". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2010. Spoofing a language belittles the people who speak it, her critics said. It also was disappointing to hear such insensitivity from O'Donnell, who has championed gay and lesbian rights and attacked others for being homophobic, they said.
  48. Silverman, Stephen M. (December 14, 2006). "Rosie Apologizes for Asian Joke on The View". People. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  49. "Apologies: a Great Tradition". Time.com. April 10, 2007. Archived from the original on April 15, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  50. O'Donnell, Rosie (October 9, 2007). Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game). Grand Central Publishing. pp. 81, 130–133. ISBN 978-0-446-19993-3. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  51. Grossberg, Josh (June 20, 2007). "Trump Wants His MTV". E! Online. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  52. Lauer, Matt (February 4, 2007). "Confessions of a beauty queen". NBC News. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  53. Ryan, Maureen (April 27, 2007). "Rosie O'Donnell bids adieu to 'The View'". Chicago tribune. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
  54. Silverman, Stephen M. (December 21, 2006). "Rosie Speaks Out on The View". People. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  55. "Q-Notes Online". q-notes.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2007.
  56. Silverman, Stephen (January 3, 2007). "Barbara Walters: I Don't Regret Hiring Rosie". People. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
  57. Rosie O'Donnell on Life, Love and Family, The Oprah Winfrey Show, January 25, 2010.
  58. "Rosie O'Donnell Leaving 'The View' After Contract Negotiations Fail". Fox News. April 25, 2007.
  59. O'Donnell, Rosie (February 4, 2008). "Burned Up and Burned Out by Politics". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  60. Nizza, Mike (May 16, 2007). "Rosie O'Donnell's 9/11 Question". The New York Times.
  61. "Rosie O'Donnell 9/11 Conspiracy Comments: Popular Mechanics Responds". Popular Mechanics. October 1, 2009.
  62. "'Scarborough Country' for May 17". MSNBC. May 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2007. (Transcript)
  63. Orloff, Brian (May 23, 2007). "Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie O'Donnell Square Off". People. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  64. "Rosie O'Donnell VS Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View 5/23/07". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  65. Olbermann, Keith (May 24, 2007). "Countdown with Keith Olbermann for May 23". CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
  66. Steinberg, Jacques (May 25, 2007). "O'Donnell Leaving 'The View' 3 Weeks Early". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  67. ABC Eyewitness News; May 28, 2007.
  68. Walters, Barbara (May 3, 2007). "The Time 100". Time. Archived from the original on May 5, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  69. Freydkin, Donna (November 27, 2008). "Rosie O'Donnell is ready to 'Live' a little on variety show". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  70. "Rosie Responds to 'Most Annoying' Title". AOL News. January 1, 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  71. "The Emmy Awards – Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards – Creative Winners". emmyonline.org.
  72. The View Writers Win 2008 Emmy Award!. YouTube. June 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021.
  73. "Rosie's "View" Review: Too Bad It's Beige". TMZ. September 5, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
  74. Matheson, Whitney (April 26, 2007). "Pop Candy: As if you don't read enough blogs ..." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  75. Massey, Liz (June 18, 2007). "Barker Says O'Donnell Could Replace Him". todaysthv.com. Associated Press. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  76. "Barker: Remarks not a Rosie endorsement". CBSNews.com. Associated Press. June 20, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  77. Eng, Joyce (October 22, 2008). "Rosie O'Donnell Is Coming to America". TV Guide. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  78. Isherwood, Charles (October 2, 2009). "Spandex Agonistes: Why Don't You Try It On?". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  79. Adam Bryant (June 25, 2009). "Rosie to launch radio show". TV Guide Online. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  80. Outspoken Rosie O'Donnell gets serious about radio show Ann Oldenburg, USA Today, October 26, 2009.
  81. "OWN Sneak Preview – The Rosie O'Donnell Show". Oprah.com. December 14, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  82. Nelson, Liz Kelly (March 16, 2012). "Rosie O'Donnell's OWN show canceled after 5 months". Zap2it. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  83. Evans, Bradford (August 22, 2011). "Curb Your Enthusiasm Recap: "The Bi-Sexual"". Vulture. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  84. Szklarski, Cassandra (April 5, 2013). "Rosie O'Donnell guests on Bomb Girls April 8". The Star. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  85. Rock, Amanda (June 9, 2016). "Popular Characters from Jake and the Never Land Pirates". Very Well. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  86. "Rosie O'Donnell Books 'Smash' Cameo". Huffington Post. December 13, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  87. Steussy, Lauren (January 29, 2015). "Staten Island on 'The View': Impractical Jokers visit Rosie O'Donnell (notice the resemblance?)". Silive. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  88. Goldberg, Lesley (September 17, 2013). "Rosie O'Donnell Joins ABC Family's 'The Fosters'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  89. Aguilera, Leanne (February 19, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Rosie O'Donnell Is Back on 'The Fosters' and She Calls Callie Out on Her 'Teenager' Behavior!". ET Online. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  90. Cristina Everett (July 10, 2014). "Rosie O'Donnell confirmed to return to 'The View' as co-host". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  91. Mohr, Ian; Smith, Emily (February 6, 2015). "Rosie O'Donnell quits 'The View' and splits with wife". New York Post. United States: pagesix.com. News Corp. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
  92. Lewis, Hilary; Gajewski, Ryan (February 7, 2015). "Rosie O'Donnell Explains Why She's Leaving 'The View'". The Hollywood Reporter. United States. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  93. Hammond, Pete (May 13, 2015). "'Pitch Perfect 2' Review: Anna Kendrick And Crew Have Something To Sing About – A Fun Sequel". Deadline. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  94. "Rosie O'Donnell goes from 'Empire' fan to guest star". Fox News. November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  95. Murthi, Vikram (June 17, 2016). "'Roseanne for President!' Trailer: A 'Serious' Comedian Runs For President". Indie Wire. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  96. Berkshire, Geoff (March 21, 2016). "'Everything Is Copy': Jacob Bernstein Talks Nora Ephron's Legacy and His Documentary Debut". Variety. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  97. Rice, Lynette (August 6, 2016). "Mom is bringing back Rosie O'Donnell". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  98. "S1 E10 Jon Lovitz vs Deion Sanders and Rosie O'Donnell vs Kathy Najimy". ABC. September 12, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  99. Snetiker, Marc (August 2, 2016). "Rosie O'Donnell, Sean Hayes join cast of Hairspray Live!". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  100. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (November 9, 2016). "Rosie O'Donnell Joins Showtime's Comedy Pilot 'SMILF'". Yahoo. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  101. Yang, Rachel (April 3, 2019). "Melissa Leo, Rosie O'Donnell Among Cast Added to Mark Ruffalo's 'I Know This Much Is True'". Yahoo. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  102. Petski, Denise (June 15, 2021). "'American Gigolo' Reboot Starring Jon Bernthal Gets Showtime Series Order". Yahoo. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  103. Jacobson, Aileen (November 18, 2000). "Tv Host O'donnell to Add Name to Venerable Mccall's Magazine". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  104. "How Rosie O'Donnell Beat Depression". ABC News. August 4, 2006. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  105. Carr, David (July 23, 2002). "O'Donnell and Her Publisher Are in Clash Over Magazine". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  106. Offman, Craig (October 21, 2002). "O'Donnell countersues in mag war". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  107. Wang, Julia. "Rosie O'Donnell Biography". People. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  108. "Cancer survivor says Rosie O'Donnell told her liars get cancer". USA Today. AP. November 5, 2003. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  109. Prono, Luca (2008). Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 205. ISBN 9780313335990. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  110. Kuczynski, Alex (March 3, 2002). "She's Out of the Closet. Now What?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  111. Kaminsky, Gregg (August 11, 2003). "Rosie O'Donnell Announces R Family Vacations". Out in Buffalo. Archived from the original on September 29, 2003. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  112. Salvato, Ed. "R Family Vacations plies uncharted gay waters". Planet Out. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  113. "Q and A with Rosie and Kelli on "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise"". Planet Out. 2006. Archived from the original on May 26, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  114. Davis, Andrew (January 12, 2005). "Getting Away with R Family Vacations". Windy City Times. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  115. Williams, Bradley David (May 2004). "Families, Ahoy!". Out Smart Magazine. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2007.
  116. Wieder, Judy (2003). "R We Ready for R Family Vacations?". Out Traveler. Archived from the original on February 8, 2006. Retrieved June 21, 2007. (Fall issue)
  117. Miller, Scott (October 11, 2011). Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and Musicals. UPNE. p. 405. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  118. Shirley, Don (January 15, 2004). "A $10-million Broadway flop for O'Donnell". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  119. "Rosie's For All Kids Foundation". Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  120. Grippi, Mike (October 5, 2006). "Rosie O'Donnell to be honored for protecting children". The Advocate. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  121. "Rosie O'Donnell returns to Louisiana to help Katrina victims". Nightline. November 1, 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  122. "P&G wins top 'PR blunder' honor". Bizjournals. December 24, 1997. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  123. Rosie's Broadway Kids Archived April 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  124. O'Donnell is Godmother of the 'Pearl;' Benefit Held 12/15 BroadwayWorld.com
  125. "Rosie O'Donnell (America) – Tyra (Part 3)". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  126. The Tyra Banks Show, 2/26/09
  127. "EA's Pogo.com and Rosie O'Donnell Team up to Launch 'Pogo Cares Benefiting Rosie's for All Kids Foundation'". Electronic Arts. May 4, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  128. Hochman, Steve (July 2, 2007). "Cyndi and Rosie (but no Britney) at Human Rights Campaign's 'True Colors' concert". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  129. Chonin, Neva (July 2, 2007). "Gay icons rock Berkeley for a cause in post-Pride 'True Colors' celebration O'Donnell is cattily amusing". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  130. Paik, Felicia (February 4, 2000). "Private Properties". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  131. South Nyack's Rosie O'Donnell Welcomes Baby Girl – Opinion | Nyack-Piermont, New York Patch Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  132. "Rosie O'Donnell buys house opposite Palm Beach". Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  133. Andrews, Helena (May 30, 2007). "A Not-So-Rosie 'View'". Politico.
  134. Sanders, Anna (May 5, 2018). "Rosie O'Donnell's campaign donations to Dems went over legal limit". New York Post. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
    Koplowitz, Howard (May 7, 2018). "Rosie O'Donnell donations to Doug Jones campaign exceeded federal legal limit". The Birmingham News. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
    Heretik, Jack (May 7, 2018). "Rosie O'Donnell Regularly Made Campaign Donations to Dems Above Legal Limit". Free Beacon. Washington, D.C. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
    Lawson, Brian (May 7, 2018). "U.S. Sen. Doug Jones plans to return Rosie O'Donnell campaign donation that exceeded federal limits". WHNT. Huntsville, Alabama. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  135. Rosenberg, Alyssa (August 11, 2014). "Rosie O'Donnell, Jenny McCarthy and the dangers of vaccine deniers and 9/11 truthers". The Washington Post.
  136. Williams, Jeannie (February 27, 2002). "Rosie, coy on TV, 'comes out' on stage". USA Today. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  137. Musto, Michael (March 5, 2002). "NY Mirror". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  138. Tauber, Michelle; Wang, Cynthia; Dagostino, Mark; Wright, Lynda; Hamm, Liza; Trischitta, Linda; Duffy, Tom (October 7, 2002). "The War of the Rosies". People. 58 (15). Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  139. Silverman, Stephen M. (May 9, 2003). "Rosie Takes Another Stab at a Magazine". People. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  140. "Rosie O’Donnell under fire for using ‘gay slur’ towards Lindsey Graham", MSN.com; accessed September 30, 2018.
  141. "Rosie O'Donnell". WYNC. June 24, 2013.
  142. "Rosie O'Donnell: Snapshot". People. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  143. Johnson, Zach (November 8, 2011). "Rosie O'Donnell's Son Parker 'Begged' Her to Attend Military School"". People.
  144. Gross, Dan (August 15, 2011). "Dan Gross: Military-academy parents to Rosie O'Donnell: Get in line, soldier!". Philly.com.
  145. "Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell Chat". ABC News.
  146. Gordon, David Gordon; O'Driscoll, Sean (August 13, 2004). "Rosie O'Donnell Weds Longtime Girlfriend". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved July 14, 2007.
  147. Phang, Jennifer (March 21, 2022). "Rosie O'Donnell With Her Family: Photos Of The Comedian With Her 5 Kids". Hollywood Life. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  148. Oldenburg, Ann (January 9, 2013). "Rosie O'Donnell announces arrival of new baby". USA Today. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  149. "Rosie O'Donnell". Hollywood.com. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  150. CNN.com transcript of Larry King Live Interview of O'Donnell
  151. Shattuck, Kathryn (June 7, 2013). "Vows: A Bond Forged Over Time on the Open Sea". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2015. She and Ms. O'Donnell married in San Francisco in 2004 and broke up three years later, but divorce wasn't necessary as the union was later annulled, along with those of about 4,000 other couples, by the California Supreme Court.
  152. "Court annuls San Francisco gay marriages". NBC News. Associated Press. August 12, 2004. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  153. "Rosie O'Donnell Engaged to Michelle Rounds". ABC News. December 5, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  154. McNeil, Liz; Coughlan, Maggie (August 27, 2012). "Rosie O'Donnell & Michelle Rounds Are Married". People. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  155. "Rosie O'Donnell Welcomes Baby Girl". ABC News. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  156. Corriston, Michele. "Rosie O'Donnell and Michelle Rounds Settle Divorce and Custody Battle". People.
  157. "Rosie O'Donnell surprised fans when she confirmed something about her ex and their baby". July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  158. FOX NEWS (September 15, 2017). "Rosie O'Donnell's ex-wife Michelle Rounds dead of suicide". FOX news Entertainment.
  159. Antoinette Bueno (August 18, 2015). "Rosie O'Donnell's Daughter Chelsea Reported Missing, Family Believes She Ran Away, Source Says". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  160. This Almost Killed Me: Rosie, Michael Starr, New York Post, April 27, 2001
  161. "Rosie Says She's Treated for Depression". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  162. "Rosie O'Donnell: Comedian suffers heart attack, gets stent". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 20, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  163. O'Donnell, Rosie (August 20, 2012). "My Heart Attack". Rosie.com (official site). Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  164. Koerner, Allyson (August 23, 2012). "Rosie O'Donnell Embraces Plant-Based Diet after Heart Attack". Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2012. nine days later – nine pounds lost – eating a plant based diet #likebillclinton pic.twitter.com/8ItILfpl. [sic]
  165. Kleid, Beth (May 22, 1995). "Auctions". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. ProQuest 293201691.
  166. Mangan, Jennifer (June 8, 1995). "Popular Vote". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  167. "Past Recipients". Wif.org. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  168. Clement, Olivia. "Cheers Star Rhea Perlman Replaces Rosie O’Donnell in 'Good for Otto' Off-Broadway" Playbill, January 26, 2018
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.