What Rosie O'Donnell Has Been Up To Since Leaving 'The View'
A comedian, actress and former talk show host, Rosie O'Donnell has never been a stranger to making media headlines. Whether it's about her decades-long career, personal life, or even a feud with Donald Trump, she continues to be a hot topic in the present day since her second departure from The View back in early 2015.
Years after her exit, she said she'd never return to the long-running daytime talk show, but it looks like that won't be an issue considering she's had quite a few opportunities since then. In addition, she has had quite a few of her personal troubles hit the spotlight as well, though this hasn't put her career at a halt. Below is a list of what Rosie O'Donnell has been up to since her days on The View came to an end.
8 She Opened Up About Her Mental Health
In a November 2017 interview with Howard Stern, O'Donnell revealed she had been on Effixer since 2003 to cope with depression. In addition, she also told Stern she was sexually abused as a child and used to have suicidal thoughts. Months later in an interview with health advocate Mike Henick on his So-Called Normal podcast, she once again spoke about her depression battle, stating her insecurities with weight and seeing photos of herself were some of the reasons for her diificult emotions.
"You have to be willing to participate in your mental health, and if you aren’t willing to participate in it, there is destruction all around, mainly to yourself," O'Donnell said to Henick.
7 Her Beef With Donald Trump Never Ended
During her first run on The View in late 2006, O'Donnell expressed distate towards Donald Trump and the controversy of his Miss USA pageant, believing the winner Tara Conner should deserve a second chance after her crown was taken due to a drug and underage drinking scandal. Shortly afterwards, Trump called her names in various interviews and threatened to sue her. During Trump's 2016 presidential run, O'Donnell continued to speak out against him. Through social media, she has frequently made her anti-Trump stance clear.
"I spent like, pretty much 90 percent of my waking hours tweeting hatred towards this administration," she said referring to the Trump administration in a 2017 interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
6 A Previously Strained Relationship With Her Daughter
In 2015, O'Donnell's troubles with her oldest daughter Chelsea O'Donnell came to light after her daughter was reported missing. Though she was found one week after the missing report (having run away), Chelsea later publicly spoke out about her argumentative texts with her mother and their complicated relationship, claiming she was kicked out (which Rosie denied). The two eventually reconciled, with Chelsea later giving birth to Rosie's first grandchild in December 2018, which Rosie often posts about on social media.
5 A Divorce And An Engagement That Ended
Earlier in 2015, O'Donnell filed for divorce from Michelle Rounds, whom she married in July 2012. The couple engaged in a custody battle over their adopted daughter Dakota, which the former View host was ultimately awarded. Two years after the divorce, Rounds committed suicide after a struggle with depression. In late 2018, O'Donnell became engaged to police officer and Army veteran Elizabeth Rooney until their split the following year. Back in July, Fox News reported she was seeing someone, though O'Donnell has not revealed any details.
4 Frequent TikTok Activity
Last year, O'Donnell joined TikTok, often posting videos of her daily life (including some with family members) and stitching with other people's videos almost on a weekly basis. Furthermore, she also uses the app simply to interact with fans, including one who thanked her for encouraging her to come out as a lesbian. She has close to two million followers on the popular video sharing app as of October 2021 and also posts her TikToks on her Instagram account.
3 Recurring And Guest Star Roles
After her second departure from The View, O'Donnell returned to acting full-time, booking various TV roles. She appeared as a guest star on Empire, Mom, and most recently, Run the World on Starz. In addition, she portrayed lesbian activist Del Martin (who created the first U.S. lesbian civil rights organization) on the ABC miniseries When We Rise. She became a recurring character as a social worker on Freeform's The Fosters and as the fiancé of character Tina Kennard (played by Laurel Holloman) on Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q, which recently finished airing its second season.
2 Starring Roles
Besides recurring and guest spots, O'Donnell also earned some main roles. In 2017, O'Donnell received positive reviews for her role as Tutu, the mother of main character Bridgette (Frankie Shaw) on Showtime's Smilf. The show lasted two seasons until its 2019 cancellation due to misconduct allegations against Shaw. Afterwards, she played a social worker in the HBO miniseries I Know This Much Is True. Back in June, it was announced she'd play a detective in a reboot of American Gigolo, set to premiere on Showtime next year.
1 Strong LGBTQ+ Rights Advocate
Since coming out as a lesbian in 2002, O'Donnell has been a vocal proponent of LGBTQ+ rights, particuarly same-sex marriage and adoption, the latter being one of the reasons she decided to come out. A few years later, she became a partner in R Family Vacations, a cruise line for same-sex couples and their families. Now in the digital age, she continues to use her celebrity platform through social media to speak out and participate in events to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ issues.
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