What to Know
Rosie O’Donnell and her oldest daughter, Chelsea, have had a complicated relationship. over the years, but they recently got to reconnect in a way that they hadn’t been able to in a long time.
In a new interview with Page Six, Rosie opened up about visiting Chelsea in federal prison, where she’s serving time after violating her parole, and why it’s the longest amount of time they’ve been able to spend together in years.
Rosie visited Chelsea in June.
Last month, the comedian took to Instagram to share a photo from her visit with her 28-year-old daughter, where they were able to spend four hours together before a tornado in the area cut their time short.
Sharing a poem she’d penned about their visit in her caption, Rosie wrote, “It’s hard enough for her/ She turns 29 this summer/ And all I see when I look at her/ Is a blonde baby in diapers.”
Chelsea was sentenced to prison time in October 2025 after she violated her parole for previous drug arrests. She is a mother herself, with four children under the age of 8.
Rosie said this is the first time in 10 years she’s seen her daughter “in a consistent way.”
This week, Rosie told Page Six that during their four hour visit, she was able to have “the first conversation I’ve had with her in 10 years that lasted more than 25 minutes.”
When a tornado warning meant that all visitation still taking place at that point in the day had to come to an end, Chelsea cried, which Rosie said was “the first time I’ve seen, kind of, an empathetic emotion from her.”
Rosie went on to say that since Chelsea was “born addicted” to drugs before she adopted her, and her most recent arrests all have to do with substance abuse. Now, Chelsea is two years sober.
“She was born addicted, and when I was adopting, I thought, ‘Well, love can cure everything,’ but I don’t know that that’s true,'” she added.
She’s working on a one-woman show based on her relationship with Chelsea.
After her solo show Common Knowledge comes to an end, Rosie is planning to work on a show that is inspired by her daughter
“I’ve asked for Chelsea’s input,” she told Page Six. “I sent it to her and said, ‘I’d really love to get you — your voice heard and just now what I perceive to be your voice … and I think she’s ready to do that now.”
After their visit, Rosie seems hopeful for the future of their relationship.
“So, you know, she’s growing up, and I hope that her future is brighter than this past decade has been,” she said.
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