Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell
(born March 21, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family Vacations.
Raised Roman Catholic, O'Donnell lost her mother to cancer as a pre-teen and has consistently stressed values of protecting children and supporting families throughout her career. O'Donnell started her comedy career while still a teenager and her big break was on the talent show Star Search
when she was twenty years old. A TV sitcom and a series of movies introduced her to a larger national audience and in 1996 she started hosting The Rosie O'Donnell Show
which won multiple Emmy awards.
During her years on The Rosie O'Donnell Show
she wrote her first book, a memoir called Find Me
and developed a reputation for being "the queen of nice" as well as a reputation for charitable philanthropy. She used the book's $3 million advance to establish her own For All Kids foundation and promoted numerous other charity schemes and projects encouraging other celebrities on her show to also take part. O'Donnell came out stating "I'm a dyke!" two months before finishing her talk show run, saying that her primary reason was to bring attention to gay adoption issues. O'Donnell is a foster—and adoptive—mother. She has since continued to support many LGBT causes and issues.
In 2006 O'Donnell became the new moderator on The View
boosting ratings and attracting controversies with her liberal views, and strong personality, dominating many of the conversations. She became a polarizing figure to many and her strong opinions resulted in several notable controversies including an on-air dispute regarding The Bush administration's policies with the war in Iraq resulting in a mutual agreement to cancel her contract. In 2007 O'Donnell also released her second memoir, Celebrity Detox
, which focuses on her struggles with fame and her time at The View
. She continues to do charity work and remains involved with LGBT and family-related issues.
In 2008 O'Donnell starred in and executive produced a Lifetime original movie called America
, 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. [2]
In fall 2009 she will host "Rosie Radio", a daily show for Sirius XM Radio Inc. discussing news and entertainment. O'Donnell said she was approached by the company after she appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show. [3]
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ROSIE O'DONNELL TICKETS
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Early life
O'Donnell, the third of five children, was born in
Bayside, Queens,
New York and raised in
Commack, Long Island, New York. She is the daughter of Roseann Teresa (
née Murtha), a homemaker, and Edward Joseph O'Donnell, an electrical engineer who worked in the defense industry.
[4] O'Donnell's father had immigrated from
County Donegal,
Ireland during his childhood, and her mother was
Irish American; O'Donnell was raised
Catholic.
[5] [6] Four days before her 11th birthday, on March 17, 1973, O'Donnell's mother died of
breast cancer.
[7]
While she attended
Commack High School, O'Donnell was voted homecoming queen, prom queen, senior class president and class clown.
[8] It was during high school that 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 Rosannadanna.
After graduating in 1980, O'Donnell briefly attended
Dickinson College, later transferring to
Boston University, before ultimately dropping out of college.
[8]
Early career
Stand-up/club comedian
O'Donnell toured stand-up clubs from 1979 to 1984.
[10] She got her first big break on
Star Search
, explaining on
Larry King Live
:
[11]
“
| 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.
| ”
|
TV career begins
After this success, she moved on to television sitcom comedy, making her series debut as
Nell Carter's neighbor on
Gimme a Break!
in 1986.
In 1988, she transferred to
VH1, where she hosted
Stand-up Spotlight
, a showcase for up-and-coming comedians. In 1992 she starred in
Stand By Your Man
, a
Fox Network sitcom co-starring
Melissa Gilbert. The show bombed, just as O'Donnell's movie career took off.
Movie career
O'Donnell made her feature film debut in
A League Of Their Own
alongside
Tom Hanks and
Madonna.
Throughout her career, she has taken on an eclectic range of roles: she appeared in
Sleepless in Seattle
as
Meg Ryan's best friend; as
Betty Rubble in the live-action film adaptation of
The Flintstones with
John Goodman; 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 female gorilla in
Disney's
Tarzan
; and as a baseball-loving nun in
M. Night Shyamalan's
Wide Awake
.
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
In 1996, she began hosting a
daytime talk show,
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
. The show proved very successful, winning multiple
Emmy awards, 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. As part of her playful banter with her studio audience, O'Donnell often launched
koosh balls at the crowd and camera.
[12] She also professed an infatuation with
Tom Cruise.
With
New York City as the show's homebase, 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 give-aways. 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 helped the city rebound by encouraging 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".
In 2002, she left her talk show. The show was then replaced by
The Caroline Rhea Show
, with comedian
Caroline Rhea and ran for one additional season.
Gun control issues
After the
Columbine shootings, O'Donnell became an outspoken supporter of
gun control and a major figure in the
Million Mom March.
[13] [14] 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."
[15] O'Donnell previously had remarked, "I don't personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem."
[16]
In May 1999, a month after the Columbine shootings, O'Donnell interviewed
Tom Selleck, who was promoting
The Love Letter
. O'Donnell confronted him about his recent commercial for the
National Rifle Association (NRA) and challenged him about the NRA's position on the use of
assault rifles. According to Selleck, the two had agreed not to discuss the topic prior to his appearance on the show. O'Donnell maintains that Selleck and his publicist had been informed that the topic would be discussed. 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."
[17] [18] 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.
[19]
Later in 1999, O'Donnell discontinued her contract with
Kmart as their spokeswoman, as gun enthusiasts complained that she shouldn't 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.
[20]
In May 2000, O'Donnell's bodyguard applied for a
concealed firearm permit in
Connecticut. O'Donnell stated that it was the security firm contracted by O'Donnell's employer
Warner Brothers that requested the gun. Numerous parents of children who attended the same school as O'Donnell's children expressed their concern about the possibility of O'Donnell's bodyguard being armed while on school grounds. O'Donnell confirmed "the guard does not normally have a gun, but is trained in self-defense techniques. And there was never any intention of his carrying a gun at school." O'Donnell added that because of threats, she and her family need protection, which she attributes, ironically, to her "tough gun-control rhetoric".
[21]
Charitable works
Charitable book deal
In May 1996,
Warner Books advanced O'Donnell $3 million to write a
memoir. She used the money to seed her
For All Kids foundation to help institute national standards for day care across the country. Her memoir,
Find Me
, was released in April 2002 and became the second highest on the
New York Times
Bestseller List.
[22]
Listerine charity kissing
San Francisco
public relations firm Fineman Associates awarded top prize to
Procter & Gamble Co.'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.
[23] In response to the promotion, the "unkissable" 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. On occasion, the guests would offer multiple kisses and
People
reported O'Donnell "smooched her way to more than $350,000."
[24]
Personal contribution
In December 2006, at a one-night
charity event on the
Norwegian Pearl cruiseship,
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.
[25] She is also reported to have contributed several hundred thousand dollars to for rehabilitation therapies for war veterans who have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"For All Kids" foundation
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.
[26] On October 30, 2006, she was honored by the
New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
[27] [28] "It's our privilege to be honoring and hosting Rosie," said NYSPCC president David Stack in a statement. "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."
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.
[29] 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.
In May 2007 O'Donnell and
Pogo Games announced a joint-effort to raise money for Rosie's All Kids Foundation. EA, which owns Pogo, committed $30,000 and more money can be raised based on the amount of playing time people spend on certain games. They also held a sweepstakes in which winners get to fly to New York and meet Rosie and attend a charity function as her guest.
"Rosie's Broadway Kids" foundation
In 2003, Rosie 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.
[30] 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.
[31]
True Colors
tour
During the summer of 2007 Rosie was a guest on the multi-artist
True Colors Tour, which traveled through 15 cities in the United States and Canada.
[32] 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.
[33]
Rosie appeared again on
True Colors Tour 2008.
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
). The magazine was launched as a competitor to fellow talk show hostess
Oprah Winfrey's monthly magazine.
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.
[34]
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. The contract gave O'Donnell control over editorial process and editorial staff but veto power remained with
publisher Gruner+Jahr USA. O'Donnell quit the magazine in September 2002 following a dispute over
editorial control. "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.
[35] Rosie magazine folded in 2003.
In late 2003, O'Donnell and the publishers each sued the other for
breach of contract. The publishers claimed 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".
[36] 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 ruled against both sides and dismissed the case.
In 2006, O'Donnell responded to a question on the "Ask Ro" section of her website in which she stated that she would love to do another magazine. In addition, O'Donnell has written a new book,
Celebrity Detox
, which was released on October 9, 2007.
Books
In 2002, O'Donnell wrote
Find Me,
a combination of memoir, mystery and detective story with an underlying interest in re-uniting birth mothers with their children. In addition to cataloging her childhood and early adulthood, the book delved into O'Donnell's relationship with a woman with
multiple personality 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.
On October 9, 2007, O'Donnell 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
.
Coming out
thumb concert
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."
[37] The announcement came two months before the end of the hosting 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 the
gay adoption issue. 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
, telling
USA Today
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 the two gay men in Florida who face having a foster child they raised removed from their home. State law won't let them adopt because Florida bans
gay or
bisexual people from adopting.
O'Donnell's coming out drew criticism from some LGBT activists who cited her repeated references to being enamored of
Tom Cruise on
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
as deceptive.
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."
[38]
Taboo
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.
[39] She subsequently attributed the haircut as a way to emulate
Boy George, in hopes that he would allow her to produce his stage show
Taboo
. O'Donnell did invest in and produce the show, but it was an expensive failure on
Broadway.
Family life
Marriage
On February 26, 2004, O'Donnell married
Kelli Carpenter, a former
Nickelodeon marketing executive, in
San Francisco two weeks after SF's 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.
"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
—"ref">[40]
The couple were married by San Francisco Treasurer
Susan Leal, one of the city's highest ranking
lesbian officials and they were serenaded by the
San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
On
ABC's "
Good Morning America," 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.
"Rosie O'Donnell Weds Long"/>
Family
The couple are parents to adopted children Parker Jaren (born 1995), Chelsea Belle (born 1997), and Blake Christopher (born 1999). Their fourth child, Vivienne Rose (who was conceived through
artificial insemination), was born in 2002 to Carpenter. 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 Rosie has since worked extensively to bring an end to the
Florida law prohibiting same-sex family adoption.
[41] [42]
Rosie and her family currently reside in
Nyack,
New York, a suburb of
New York City that is located in
Rockland County and in
Miami's
Star Island. O'Donnell's brother
Daniel, who is also gay, represents the
Upper West Side of
Manhattan as a member of the
New York State Assembly.
[43] O'Donnell and fellow actress
Bridget Moynahan are 3rd cousins.
[44]
R Family Vacations
In 2003 O'Donnell and Carpenter partnered with travel entrepreneur Gregg Kaminsky to launch R Family Vacations catering to gays and lesbians, "the very first all gay and lesbian family vacation packages" where "gays and lesbians can bring their kids, their friends, and their parents."
[45] 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."
[46]
On July 11, 2004, the first cruise was held with 1600 passengers
[47] including 600 children.
[48] 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
GLBT families [49] to host discussions on "
adoption,
insemination,
surrogacy, and everything else that would be helpful to
gay parenting."
[50] 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."
[
]
The View
In September 2006, O'Donnell replaced Meredith Vieira as a co-host and moderator of the daytime women-oriented daytime talkshow The View
. 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 gastric bypass surgery rather than dieting and exercise alone as Star had insisted which also fed speculation about certain tension between the two. As a big-name talent O'Donnell drew criticism for her opinions while keeping the show's "buzz factor up". [51] O'Donnell is credited with helping the show be more news-focused while still embracing the "fluff" of daytime TV talkshows (celebrities, fashion and food). [52] Despite the overall downward trend for most daytime broadcast shows, ratings rose by 27%. 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. [53] O'Donnell adapted to the multi-personality forum in contrast to her anchoring her own talkshows in the past and moderated the opening "Hot Topics" portion of the show where newsworthy items were discussed. Unlike previous years, politics and taboo subjects were readily explored with O'Donnell and fellow-comic Joy Behar often giving strong opinions against former President Bush's domestic and foreign policies including the Iraq war which was losing support amongst Americans. As a conservative counterpoint, Elisabeth Hasselbeck would support the Bush Administration's issues and the two would get into an adversarial give-and-take. Always outspoken, O'Donnell sometimes provoked debate, one time stating "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam" or criticizing fellow TV personalities. In January 2007, she questioned American Idol
for airing auditions that humiliated contestants. [54] O'Donnell's outspokeness and spontaneousness sometimes led to her views being recirculated by other media outlets, often surprising The View co-hosts including O'Donnell. [55] Frequently portrayed unfavorably by conservative media outlets and what she deemed as Republican pundits, O'Donnell lamented that they were focusing on her comments instead of more important national or world issues like the ongoing Iraq War and more serious national and international issues. [56] Perhaps as a result of her famous controversies O'Donnell was named "The Most Annoying Celebrity of 2007" by a PARADE
reader's poll. O'Donnell responded by stating "Frankly, most celebrities are annoying ... and I suppose I am the most annoying, but, whatever." [57]
In 2008, The View
won an Emmy for "Outstanding Special Class Writing" for a specially-themed Autism episode broadcast when O'Donnell was co-host. 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. [58] [59]
Donald Trump incident
In December 2006, O'Donnell criticized billionaire Donald Trump for holding a press conference to reinstate Miss USA Tara Conner, 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. [60] Conner had violated pageant guidelines by clubbing and drinking underage, as well as having "wild nights" and alleged sexual liaisons (including kissing and "dirty dancing") with Katie Blair, Miss Teen USA, in public, yet was allowed to keep her crown on condition that she enter drug rehabilitation. [61] 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!" [62] In response, Trump began a mass media blitz in which he appeared on various television shows, either in person or by phone, threatening to sue O'Donnell. [63] He called names, threatened to take away her partner Kelli, and claimed that Barbara Walters regretted hiring her. [64] [65] [66] Walters responded that both Trump and O'Donnell are highly opinionated people and that Trump has never filed for bankruptcy, but several of his casino companies did but are now out of bankruptcy. She also denied that she was unhappy with O'Donnell, saying, "I have never regretted, nor do I now, the hiring of Rosie O'Donnell."
Accusations of anti-Catholicism
O'Donnell has been accused of serial anti-Catholicism and labeled a bigot by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, for what he claimed "relentless and profoundly ignorant attacks on the Catholic Church and its teachings." [67] [68] On the 24 February 2003 episode of Phil Donahue's talk show O'Donnell referred to the "pedophile scandal"*
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston resulting in $157 million awarded to 983 claimants, [69] [70] [71] [72] [73] 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." [74] (*
Pedophile
, as in this instance, is commonly misused to describe all sexual offenders of children.) [75] [76] [77]
On The View
O'Donnell joked about communion rituals alongside co-host Behar's drunk priest comments. On 2 October 2006 she compared the Republican Party cover-up of the Mark Foley scandal to the cover-up of child sexual abuse by Catholic Church officials who actively concealed perpetrators by moving them from parish to parish as detailed in Amy Berg's award-winning film about the abuse within the Catholic Church. [78] [79] O'Donnell said "the most interesting thing about Deliver Us from Evil
(is) that the person who was in charge of investigating all the allegations of pedophilia in the Catholic Church from the 1980s until just recently was guess who? The current Pope." [80] [81] Although Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from November 1981 to April 2005, responsibility to investigate sexual abuse of minors by priests only started in 2001 and he has denounced the abuse. [82] [83] [84]
On April 19, 2007 the all-woman panel on The View
discussed the Supreme Court of the United States ruling on Gonzales v. Carhart 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 "[H]ow about separation of church and state?" Some conservatives called her statements "anti-Catholic bigotry" and suggested that such statements against other religions would not be tolerated. [85] [86] [87]
O'Donnell/Hasselbeck argument
O'Donnell has condemned many of the Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration's policies, especially the war in Iraq and the resulting military occupation|occupation. [88] She consistently brought up recent military deaths and news about the war, and has criticized the US media for its lack of attention to these issues. On May 17, 2007, O'Donnell rhetorically asked,
“
| Lancet surveys of casualties of the Iraq War
| ”
|
Conservative commentators responded by claiming O'Donnell was comparing American soldiers to terrorists. 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 as not against the troops with O'Donnell asking her "Do you believe I think our troops are terrorists?" Hasselbeck answered in the negative but also stated "Defend your own insinuations." [90] [91] [92] [93] 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. Despite repeated attempts by their co-hosts to change the topic or cut to a commercial break, O'Donnell and Hasselbeck continued their debate.
According to ABC News, O'Donnell said that she knew her time on the show was over when she saw on the studio monitor that the director had made a decision to cut to a split screen effect showing she and Hasselbeck on either side. O'Donnell and ABC agreed to cut short her contract agreement on May 25, 2007, as a result of this issue. ABC News reported that her arguments with Hasselbeck brought the show its best ratings ever. [94]
"Ching Chong" comments
On December 5, 2006, O'Donnell used the expression "ching chong" to describe Chinese people talking about Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on her show, which offended Asian American leaders. The Asian American Journalists Association called her remarks as mockery and accused her of calling Asians as substandard. On December 8, O'Donnell wrote in her blog that "it was not my intent to mock." She clarified this statement in December 10, stating that her purpose of the expression was for racial "comedy."[[95]
]
Departure
On April 25, 2007, O'Donnell announced she would be leaving the show as a co-host when her contract expired because the network could not come to terms on the length of a new contract, but that she planned to return as an occasional correspondent. [96] On the April 30, 2007, show Walters announced that O'Donnell would be listed by Time
magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. [97] On May 25, 2007, it was announced by ABC and O'Donnell that she would not stay until the end of her contract (which was supposed to end on June 21, 2007). On September 4, 2007, Whoopi Goldberg replaced O'Donnell as moderator.
JaHeRo (video blog)
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. [98] Called Jahero
, which has each of their first name's letters in it, 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 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 utilizing fan-submitted suggestions. O'Donnell was the front runner for the "best celebrity blogger" category in the 2007 Blogger's Choice Awards. [99][clarification needed]
The Price Is Right
O'Donnell had expressed an interest in replacing Bob Barker as the host of CBS's long-running 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. [100] [101] On June 24, 2007 she announced on her blog it was not going to happen, implying the decision was hers and was based on her reluctance to uproot her family and move to California. Drew Carey was eventually chosen as the replacement host.
Works
Television
- Gimme a Break!
NBC (cast member 1986–1987)
- Stand-Up Spotlight
VH1 (1988–1991)
- Stand by Your Man
FOX (1992)
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Syndicated (1996–2002) (also producer and executive producer)
- The Twilight of the Golds
Showtime (1997)
- Jackie's Back!
Lifetime (1999) (cameo)
- Will & Grace
NBC (2002) (recurring role)
- Riding the Bus with My Sister
CBS (2005 TV movie) (also executive producer)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
HBO (2005)
- Queer as Folk
Showtime (2005) (recurring role)
- All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
HBO (2006) (also documentary's producer and executive producer)
- The View
ABC (September 5, 2006 – May 27, 2007's Moderator)
- Nip/Tuck
FX (2006) (two episodes in Season 4, four episodes in Season 5)
- Little Britain USA
HBO (2008) (Series 1, Episode 1)
- Rosie Live!
NBC (2008) (also producer and executive producer)
- Christmas In Rockefeller Center 2008
NBC (2008)
- America
Lifetime (2009) (also executive producer and screenplay)
Future television productions
- Stalking Streisand
HBO (2009)
Theater
- Grease
(1994) (as Betty Rizzo)
- Seussical
(2001) (replacement for David Shiner)
- Fiddler on the Roof
(2004) (replacement for Andrea Martin in 2005)
Filmography
- A League of Their Own
(1992)
- Sleepless in Seattle
(1993)
- Another Stakeout
(1993)
- Fatal Instinct
(1993)
- Car 54, Where Are You?
(1994)
- I'll Do Anything
(1994)
- The Flintstones
(1994)
- Exit to Eden
(1994)
- Now and Then
(1995)
- Beautiful Girls
(1995)
- Harriet the Spy
(1996)
- A Very Brady Sequel
(1996) (Cameo)
- Wide Awake
(1998)
- Get Bruce
(1999) (documentary about Bruce Vilanch)
- Tarzan
(1999) (voice)
- Artists and Orphans: A True Drama
(2001) (short subject) (narrator)
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch
(2001) (Archive footage)
- Last Party 2000
(2001) (documentary)
- The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch
(2005) (documentary)
- Show Business
(2005) (documentary)
- Pursuit of Equality
(2005) (documentary)
- All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
(2006) (documentary) (also executive producer)
Award ceremonies
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
(Host) (1997-2003)
- 54th Annual Tony Awards
(Host) (2000)
- 42nd Annual Grammy Awards
(Host) (2000)
Books
- Find Me
(2002)
- Celebrity Detox
(2007)
- Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U: 100 Easy Projects The Whole Family Can Enjoy All Year Long
(2008)
Discography
Year
| Album
| Chart positions
|
US Holiday
| US
|
1999
| A Rosie Christmas
| 1
| 20
|
2000
| Another Rosie Christmas
| 3
| 45
|
Singles
Year
| Single
| US Country
| Album
|
2000
| "Santa on the Rooftop" (w/ Trisha Yearwood)
| 72
| A Rosie Christmas
|
Awards
Daytime Emmy Awards
- 1997 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell
- 1998 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
- 1998 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell (tied with Oprah Winfrey)
- 1999 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
- 1999 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell
- 2000 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
- 2000 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell
- 2001 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
- 2001 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell (tied with Regis Philbin)
- 2002 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
- 2002 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell
Emmy Awards
- 1999 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, 52nd Annual Tony Awards
'''Kids' Choice Awards
References
- Interview: Rosie O'Donnell
- Rosie O'Donnell Is Coming to ''America''" ''TV Guide''. October 22, 2008. Retrieved on October 22 2008.
- Rosie to launch radio show
- Rosie O'Donnell Biography (1962-)
- Rosie: The Rosie O'Donnell Story
- Stated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2005
- Rosie O'Donnell Biography, ''Biography.com''
- Rosie O'Donnell; People.com
- Rosie O'Donnell; People.com
- Rosie O'Donnell profile, ''E! Online''
- "Highlights of Interviews With Rosie O'Donnell", ''CNN Larry King Weekend'', March 16, 2002.
- "Balls & Spheres", ''TV Acres''
- 'Million Mom March' organizers hope to spur congressional action on gun legislation
- Clinton friend leads Million Mom March
- Her Own Bodyguard
- A Bodyguard for Rosie's Kid
- TRANSCRIPT: Tom Selleck Visits "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"
- Transcript of Tom Selleck & Rosie O'Donnell's NRA Discussion
- Report: Lyrics Riled Rosie
- New York Daily News, November 19, 1999 "Rosie Sticks to Her Guns By Unloading Kmart Gig" by Mitchell Fink
- Rosie's Bodyguard Applies for Gun Permit
- Rosie O'Donnell: Biography
- P&G wins top `PR blunder' honor
- Rosie O'Donnell: Five Fun Facts
- O'Donnell is Godmother of the 'Pearl;' Benefit Held 12/15 BroadwayWorld.com
- Rosie's For All Kids Foundation
- Sunny and Warm
- Protecting the Children
- '''Nightline Online: Rosie O'Donnell''' returns to Louisiana to help Katrina victims. ABC News Video]
- Rosie's Broadway Kids
- Pink Picks Entertainment
- Cyndi and Rosie (but no Britney) at Human Rights Campaign's 'True Colors' concert
- Gay icons rock Berkeley for a cause in post-Pride 'True Colors' celebration O'Donnell is cattily amusing
- How Rosie O'Donnell Beat Depression
- The End of 'Rosie' Mag, Rosie O'Donnell: Biography 2007
- Cancer survivor: Rosie O'Donnell told her liars 'get cancer'
- Rosie, coy on TV, 'comes out' on stage
- Michael Musto, 2002-03-05. New York Columns - NY Mirror. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- Rosie O'Donnell May Leave 'The View' Early, By Allie @ Gone Hollywood
- Rosie O'Donnell Weds Longtime Girlfriend
- Hollywood.com Biography
- CNN.com transcript of ''Larry King Live'' Interview of O'Donnell
- New York State Assembly - Assemblymember Daniel O'Donnell - 69th Assembly District
- Less than Six Degrees of Separation
- Rosie O'Donnell Announces R Family Vacations
- R Family Vacations plies uncharted gay waters
- Q and A with Rosie and Kelli on "All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise"
- Getting Away with R Family Vacations
- Families, Ahoy!
- R We Ready for R Family Vacations?
- "The Future of The View" TV Guide, June 3, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- The View (Season 10) | TV Review | Entertainment Weekly
- O'Donnell brings big ratings to 'The View' Daytime talk show nabs best-ever November sweeps. ''Variety'' website. Accessed on May 29, 2007.
- Rosie's stormy stay on 'The View' will end. ''MSNBC'' website. Accessed on May 29, 2007.
- The Drama of Daytime: Friendships, Feuds and Fury: Regis Philbin is back. Rosie O'Donnell is leaving.
- Rosie O'Donnell Says Viewers Should Look Outside the U.S. for Their News: In Her Latest Debate on The View, Rosie O'Donnell Comes Down on American Media Companies
- Rosie Responds to 'Most Annoying' Title - AOL News
- The Emmy Awards - Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards - Creative Winners
- YouTube - The View Writers Win 2008 Emmy Award!
- Trump Wants His MTV
- Confessions of a beauty queen
- Trump, O'Donnell trade blows
- Rosie O'Donnell bids adieu to 'The View'
- Q-Notes Online
- Rosie Speaks Out on The View
- Barbara Walters: I Don't Regret Hiring Rosie
- "Out Of 'View' After A Year Of Fireworks, Rambling Rosie's Hanging Up Her Coffee Cup" Chicago Tribune, April 26, 2007, p. 40 (paid content)
- [1] ''Tokyo Rosie] Investor's Business Daily; April 2, 2007, p. A18 (opinion piece)
- Statement of the Archdiocese of Boston and Boston College on sale of part of Brighton campus
- The Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse by Priests: L.A. Archdiocese Reaches Agreement with More Than 500 Abuse Claimants
- A Settlement In Boston: The Archdiocese Agrees to a Record $85 Million. Will others follow?
- Diocesan headquarters sold to BC: Brighton land nets $107.4m
- Prayers To Cleanse Church of Pedophiles
- ABC Is Proud of Anti-Christian Bigot Rosie O'Donnell, Hopes To Have Her Back as Guest Host
- M. Edwards, "Treatment for Paedophiles; Treatment for Sex Offenders", in: ''Paedophile Policy and Prevention, Australian Institute of Criminology Research and Public Policy Series'' 12 (1997), p. 74-75.
- Special Problems with Sexual Abuse Cases
- Coping With Psychiatric and Psychological Testimony: Assessment of the Accused Adult J. Ziskin (ed.), (Fifth Edition)
- An Unassuming Face of 'Evil'
- The bitter wake of a pedophile protected by the church
- 'Scarborough Country' for October 2
- Pope 'Obstructed' Sex Abuse Inquiry: Confidential Letter Reveals Ratzinger Ordered Bishops to Keep Allegations Secret
- Jamie Doward, "The Pope, The Letter and the Child Sex Claim," ''The Guardian'', April 24, 2005.
- Vatican 'Protecting Paedophile Priests'
- Pope Denounces 'Evil' Sex Priests
- ''Abortion Ruling Sparks a Backlash for Catholic Justices: Observers Raise Questions about Justices' Catholic Faith After the Supreme Court's Upholding of Late-Term
Abortion Curbs'' ABC News
- Zagano, Phyllis "Abortion debate brings anti - Catholicism into focus" The Kansas City Star April 27, 2007
- Reinhard, David 'How many Supreme Court judges are Catholic?' The Partial-Birth Ban and Prejudice, The Oregonian p. B06, May 3, 2007 (editorial)
- Burned Up and Burned Out by Politics
- 'Scarborough Country' for May 17
- Brian Orloff, ''Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie O'Donnell Square Off'', People May 23, 2007.
- Rosie O'Donnell VS Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View 5/23/07
- Rosie and "The View"; Stealing from a Charity Benefit
- Countdown with Keith Olbermann for May 23
- ABC ''Eyewitness News''; May 28, 2007.
- Asian Leaders Angered by Rosie O'Donnell's 'Ching Chong' Comments
- Rosie O'Donnell Says She Will Say Goodbye to 'The View' in June. ''New York Times'' website. Accessed on April 25, 2007.
- Rosie O'Donnell - The TIME 100 - TIME
- Rosie's "View" Review: Too Bad It's Beige
- Pop Candy: As if you don't read enough blogs ...
- Barker Says O'Donnell Could Replace Him
- Barker: Remarks not a Rosie endorsement