Rosie O’Donnell has opened up about her newfound life in Ireland, describing the locals as “unbearably kind” to her in a way that “shocks her every single day.”
The comedian, who recently revealed that she and her non-binary child, Clay, will soon be getting their Irish citizenship, expressed shock at fellow comedian Ellen DeGeneres’s departure from the U.S.
However, Rosie O’Donnell misses her adult children, who still live in the country, and has seemingly been struggling with the time difference between the two countries.
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Rosie O’Donnell Is Loving Life In Ireland After Fleeing The U.S.
O’Donnell has settled well and is loving her new chapter in Ireland after fleeing the U.S. in protest of Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential elections.
The former “Rosie O’Donnell Show” host told Us Weekly that she and her child, Clay, couldn’t be happier after relocation to the Irish state.
“I know myself enough to know that this was something I needed to do for the safety and sanity of myself and my non-binary child,” O’Donnell told the news outlet. “We chose Ireland and didn’t really know where to go.”
O’Donnell also touched on how finding a home when they first arrived didn’t go as planned because they discovered it had mold.
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“[We] could not move there, especially with an autistic child who has some allergy issues. And so we ended up in Howth,” she shared. “There’s a great, great school there. And Clay has done very well. And they were really welcoming.”
“And I love the little town, the little village. It’s in the heart of Dublin, but it’s still a village where you know the name of the grocer and you know the name of the cashiers. People are unbearably kind in a way that shocks me every single day,” she added.
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The Comedian Was ‘Shocked’ To Learn That Ellen DeGeneres Had Also Relocated From The U.S.
Elsewhere in her chat with the news outlet, the “Another Stakeout” actress expressed “shock” at Ellen DeGeneres ditching Hollywood for a new life in the Cotswolds in England with her wife, Portia de Rossi.
Reports had earlier suggested that the former talk show host also left the country in protest of Trump’s win in the November elections.
However, sources later shared that the comedian relocated to kick off her “retirement” from Hollywood following disturbing allegations by her former employees.
“I’ve never really known Ellen to say anything political in her life, so I was surprised to read that she left because of President Trump. Like, that shocked me, actually,” Rosie O’Donnell said.
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“I’ve been a political person my whole life, not better or worse, it’s just a different way to be in the world. I was very clear about the reason why I was leaving, and I don’t think it came as a surprise to anyone,” she shared.
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Rosie O’Donnell Weighed In On Strained Relationship With Ellen DeGeneres
Despite both of them being top TV presenters in their prime, Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres didn’t seem to see eye to eye.
In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she detailed how they had “a good relationship” and “were friends” who “supported each other” in the past, but later shared that she and DeGeneres have also had “weirdness” between them.
“I don’t know if it’s jealousy, competition, or the fact that she said a mean thing about me once that really hurt my feelings,” she said at the time.
However, O’Donnell told Us Weekly that she doesn’t hold any “malice” towards DeGeneres and doesn’t want to “fight against another gay woman.”
“We’re not really in each other’s worlds, and it’s been kind of awkward, but you know what? I wish her the best. I wish that she has peace and love in her life and that she is OK,” she said.
“I don’t want to fight against another gay woman,” O’Donnell continued. “It’s not like we’re tenaciously opposed to each other. We’re just very different people.”
The comedian added, “We have had some stuff in the past that we never resolved. And not in any way as, as partners or lovers or anything like that, just as friends and comedians, but I wish her the best. I seriously do.”
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Rosie O’Donnell Misses Her Kids In The U.S.
The controversial TV personality admitted that she misses her elderly kids and close pals who have remained in the country.
“It’s been very hard because of the time zone for me to participate in that. And I really miss that,” O’Donnell said, per Us Weekly. “I call my kids, I FaceTime my kids. I have two best friends, Junie and Jackie, since I [was] 3 years old.”
“They’re really like sisters. And I talk to them all the time. I have two brothers I’m very close to. I talk to them all the time,” she added.
Despite her newfound home in Dublin, Rosie O’Donnell shared in a TikTok clip that she plans to return to the United States “when it’s safe for all citizens to have equal rights.”
“It’s not easy to move to another country, and we really felt as a family this was the safest and best thing for us to do,” she added, per the Daily Mail.
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The Comedian Feels Healthier Since Moving To Ireland
In a TikTok video, Rosie O’Donnell noted that her mental health has gotten better since relocating to Ireland.
She said, “I feel healthier [and] I’m sleeping better without the stress and anxiety over what was happening politically in the country.”
O’Donnell further expressed pride in her family’s “resilience,” noting that while adjusting to life in a new country hasn’t been easy, moving abroad was the best choice for them.
“They’re doing so well here,” she said. “It’s not easy to move to another country, and we really felt as a family this was the safest and best thing for us to do.”
“And it looks like, sadly, we were correct, for what’s happening in the United States is overwhelmingly depressing, unconstitutional, illegal, criminal, and so so very sad,” O’Donnell added.
