Rosie O’Donnell has made the surprising decision to leave the United States and start a new life in Ireland.
The well-known liberal comedian and actress shared the news in a nine-minute video where she updated her fans about her relocation.
Hints of her move surfaced earlier in March when she posted a selfie behind the wheel of her car, mentioning the challenges of adjusting to driving on the opposite side of the road.
“Bought a little used car to tool around the countryside on the wrong side of the road,” she wrote, later humorously confessing: “Hit the curb three times – thought I hit a cat!!! #newadventures.”
Her relocation aligns with a growing trend of celebrities moving abroad following Trump’s second election victory.
Actor Richard Gere, for instance, relocated to Madrid, Spain, after selling his $11 million Connecticut home, explaining that he saw it as a ‘great adventure.’
Likewise, former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi moved to the English countryside in December, with DeGeneres expressing in a social media post how happy she was to be able to ‘travel and explore the world together.’
In a new video, 62-year-old O’Donnell shared that she felt unable to stay in the U.S. under Trump’s leadership, ultimately deciding to leave on January 15—just days before his inauguration.
Opening up about her experience, O’Donnell told her 2.5 million followers that her time in Ireland has been “pretty wonderful.”
“The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I’m very grateful,” she said.
However, she admitted there are aspects of her American life that she already misses.
Reflecting on the transition, she shared: “I never imagined I would move to another country, but I felt it was the best choice for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are.”
While she’s happy in her new surroundings, she acknowledged: “I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. There are many things I miss about home, and I’m still trying to find a sense of home here in this beautiful country.”
O’Donnell also addressed the political turmoil in the U.S. as a key reason for her departure, explaining: “And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
She further expressed her distress over the changes happening since Trump’s election, adding: “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.”
She reassured concerned fans, saying: “Sorry for those of you who were worried and who missed me. I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through.
“And now as we’re getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what’s been going on.”
O’Donnell has long been a fierce critic of Trump, even before his presidency.
Recently, she took to TikTok to criticize Time magazine for naming him its Man of the Year in 2024, stating: “Man of the year, Donald Trump. Well, fk you Time Magazine. Fk you, seriously.
“How about most dangerous man of the year? How about most criminal man of the year? How about the worst president we’ve ever had… of the year.”
