Comedian Rosie O’Donnell quietly slipped back into the United States after spending over a year in Ireland, taking a low-profile two-week trip to reconnect with her children and determine whether it was “safe” to bring her youngest child for a summer visit.
The 63-year-old actress and former talk show host shared the news during her appearance on Chris Cuomo’s SiriusXM program “Cuomo Mornings” on Friday, February 13, 2026, explaining she had kept the journey secret while testing the atmosphere in a nation she says feels drastically unlike the one she left behind.
O’Donnell told Cuomo that after a year away from U.S. culture and news while living in Ireland, the country seemed to her like “a very different country, a very different place.”
The comedian relocated to Ireland in January 2025 with her 12-year-old child Clay, who is nonbinary and autistic, just five days before President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term. The move came in the context of a long-running feud between O’Donnell and Trump that began roughly two decades ago during her time on “The View,” when she criticized him.
The conflict intensified last July when President Trump wrote on Truth Social that O’Donnell was a “Threat to Humanity” and said he was giving “serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson reacted to O’Donnell’s relocation by telling reporters, “What great news for America!”
According to O’Donnell, the recent trip home served several purposes beyond seeing family. The “A League of Their Own” star explained she needed to check how difficult international travel would be and make sure the environment would be safe enough for Clay to visit during the upcoming summer break.
As a mother of five, O’Donnell emphasized her strong emotional ties to the United States. Her son Blake and his wife Teresa are expecting their first baby in March 2026, which will mark her fifth grandchild—her daughter Chelsea already has four children. She also wanted to reconnect with her older children, Parker, Chelsea, and Vivienne, whom she had not seen in more than a year.
While abroad, O’Donnell intentionally stepped back from American media and pop culture, saying Ireland is a place where “celebrity worship does not exist” and news is reported with greater balance. She said that distance allowed her to return to the U.S. with a fresh perspective.
The visit left her uneasy. O’Donnell said the atmosphere felt “scary” and added there was “a feeling that something is really wrong, and no one is doing anything about it.”
Despite her concerns about the political climate, O’Donnell strongly dismissed Trump’s prior threat to revoke her citizenship. Citing the 14th Amendment, she noted that a U.S.-born citizen cannot have their citizenship removed by a president—O’Donnell was born in Commack, New York. She stated that only she could renounce her citizenship and insisted she never would. Instead, she is seeking dual citizenship with Ireland while remaining an American.
O’Donnell first revealed she was applying for Irish citizenship during a Daily Telegraph interview in October 2025, saying she qualified through her Irish grandparents. She said at the time that she hoped to keep ties to both nations while enjoying the advantages of living abroad.
During her conversation with Cuomo, O’Donnell said she stands by her choice to move overseas, calling it essential for her own well-being and for Clay’s. She praised Ireland’s calm environment and generous culture, saying both have been positive for her child.
The long-standing tension between O’Donnell and Trump has unfolded publicly for years, with both sides trading insults through interviews and on social media. In September 2025, Trump renewed his criticisms on Truth Social, writing that O’Donnell “is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!” His threat to revoke her citizenship was one of the most extreme turns in their dispute, though legal experts have repeatedly stated such an action is unconstitutional.
O’Donnell insists she is “a very proud citizen of the United States” and plans to continue traveling between Ireland and America to see her children. Her recent two-week visit signals that she intends to keep her presence in both countries despite the political issues that led her to leave.
The comedian expects to spend the summer in the United States with her family during Clay’s school break—a visit that will include meeting her newest grandchild, due in March.
