Comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell has confirmed that she has officially relocated to Ireland with her 12-year-old child, Clay. The move took place on January 15, just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Speaking about her decision, she expressed her appreciation for her new home, saying, “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 admitted that she never imagined she would leave the United States but felt that moving was the best choice for even her son, Clay.
O’Donnell also shared that while she is happy in Ireland, she deeply misses her other children, friends, and aspects of her life back in the U.S. However, she made it clear that returning is not currently an option. “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” she stated.
O’Donnell’s announcement comes less than three months after comedian Ellen DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi decamped to the U.K. from their home in California. The couple reportedly became “very disillusioned” with Trump’s victory in the election and were determined to “get the hell out,” a source told TMZ.
The entertainer has been a long-time critic of Trump and the Republican Party, frequently clashing with the former president on social media. O’Donnell even led an anti-Trump rally at the White House in 2017. Notably, during Trump’s campaign in 2016, her name was dragged amidst reports that suggested she would leave the country if Trump was elected. However, in a since deleted post, he later wrote, “LISTEN UP WASTED TRUMPERS – I AM NEVER LEAVING THE USA – AND HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT – HE IS A MORON – WE ALL SEE.”
Despite her past statements, O’Donnell has now made a fresh start in Ireland and seems content with her new life.