Rosie O’ Donnell opens up on shocking feud with Ellen DeGeneres

In a recent interview, Rosie O’Donnell opened up about her once-close friendship with Ellen DeGeneres and the subsequent fallout that strained their relationship. 

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Rosie shared her feelings of hurt and confusion after Ellen appeared to distance herself during a 2004 appearance on The Larry King Show.

Reflecting on their tension, Rosie expressed her uncertainty about the cause, saying, “I don’t know if it’s jealousy, competition, or the fact that she said a mean thing about me once that really hurt my feelings.”

During that time, Ellen’s career was thriving, as her talk show had propelled her back into the spotlight after her 1990s sitcom was canceled following her public coming out as gay, both personally and through her character.

Meanwhile, Rosie’s own talk show had come to an end in 2002, coinciding with her public revelation about her sexual orientation.

Recalling the Larry King interview, Rosie shared: “Larry King said, ‘Whatever happened to Rosie O’Donnell’s show? She went down the tubes as soon as she came out.'” 

Rosie was taken aback when Ellen responded with, “I don’t know Rosie. We’re not friends.”

The comedian and former talk show host emphasized that prior to this incident, she and Ellen had been extremely close, even knowing each other’s families intimately. 

Rosie stated, “I could identify her brother without her in the room. I knew her for so many years. It just felt like I don’t trust this person to be in my world.”

While footage of the specific moment is not available online, a transcript from the CNN website confirmed the context of Ellen’s response. 

© Photo: Getty Images

When asked about Rosie’s talk show, Ellen replied: “I don’t know. You know, maybe she didn’t … I don’t really know Rosie that well. I mean, I’ve spoken to her, but we’re not really friends.”

Rosie highlighted their past connection by mentioning Ellen’s’ appearance on her talk show in 1996 when speculation surrounding Ellen’s sexuality was rampant. 

The pair engaged in playful banter about Ellen coming out as “Lebanese,” to which O’Donnell responded in support. However, Rosie revealed that when she requested to appear as a guest on Ellen’s show after DeGeneres became a daytime television icon, her request was denied. She never had the opportunity to appear on Ellen during its two-decade run.

After Rosie discussed their rift on Andy Cohen’s talk show Watch What Happens Live last year, she received a text from Ellen, which read, “I’m really sorry, and I don’t remember that.” Since then, the two have exchanged text messages, including a few weeks ago, but Rosie acknowledged that there is still lingering “weirdness” between them.

Rosie has clashed with various celebrities in the past including Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. 

Read more HELLO! US stories here