Actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell announced on TikTok that she and her child Clay moved to Ireland in mid-January and is in the process of getting her Irish citizenship, as she has Irish grandparents.
On a TikTok video, which is almost ten minutes long, the Irish American star said: “Although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child.”
They made the move to Ireland on January 15, 2024, five days before President Donald J Trump was inaugurated.
O'Donnell said: “It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I’m very grateful."
She continued: “I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home, and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country.
“And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
She added: "It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.”
President Donald Trump.
Read more
Later in the video, O'Donnell explained her decision to move to Ireland.
" I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through,” she said.
“And now as we’re getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what’s been going on.”
"The Flintstones" star said she encourages everyone to "stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country and not a king, not a man and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style.
"Protect your sanity as much as you can and try not to swim in the chaos if possible, but I know it’s nearly impossible when you’re there in the middle of it."
She said: "I am hoping that we can turn things around. I’m counting on you, all of you, to do what’s right. And I think deep down inside we all know what that is."
The O'Donnells are not the only high-profile Americans who have moved out in recent months. Other personalities include Eva Longoria, Ellen DeGeneres, Richard Gere, and others have also moved abroad.
O'Donnell and Trump have been sparring since 2006 when she criticized him on the talk show "The View" about his decision to be lenient toward a Miss USA winner, Tara Conner, who had been accused of drug use and other unsavory behavior.
They continued to spar on public platforms back and forth and in 2014 O'Donnell told People magazine the feud involved the "most bullying I ever experienced in my life."
You can watch Rosie O'Donnell's full video here:
@rosie hello all - here’s whats been going on folks - sending love ❤️- follow me on substack - link in my bio #bewell #speakkindlytoyourself #dourbest ♬ original sound - Rosie ODonnell
Comments