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Rosie O’Donnell Recalling the destruction of how her friendship with Ellen DeGeneres collapsed more than 20 years ago.
In a recent appearance on the Mamamia podcast”No filter“O’Donnell, 63, described her reaction to the 67-year-old comment Degeneres made on “Larry King Live” in 2004, ending the friendship between the two comedians and former talk show hosts.
The “One League of Myself” star recalls watching the episode with his then-wife Kelli Carpenter, when King asked DeGeneres about the end of the “Rosie O’Donnell Show” from 1996 to 2002.
Rosie O’Donnell was shocked when she recalled her friendship with Ellen DeGeneres ending. (Getty Image)
“He asked her, ‘What happened to Rosie O’Donnell? Her performance fell from the test tube.'” O’Donnell said, mimicking the voice of King who died in 2021.
“This is one of the most painful things that have happened in my life in the show business,” O’Donnell said of DeGeneres’ response.
“I can’t believe it,” she continued. “I have pictures of her holding my newborn baby. I’ve known her for 30 years.”
O’Donnell said the incident was “So frustrated“Her custom t-shirts are decorated with DeGeneres’ quote, she “gives to my staff.” ”
“It’s very painful, you know, we never really solved it,” she said.
O’Donnell said she “feeled betrayed” when DeGeneres met her when she appeared on “Larry King Live” in 2004. (Mathew Imaging/Filmmagic)
Odonel explained that she has “betrayed” since she supported DeGeneres Former “Allen” star Appeared as a homosexual in the 1997 sitcom.
She recalls inviting DeGeneres to appear in the 1996 “Rosie O’Donnell Show.” In the episode, DeGeneres jokes that her character will be “becoming Lebanese”, which is the term “lesbian”.
During the exchange, O’Donnell, who was not publicly gay at the time, joked that she might be “Lebanese”, and DeGeneres said: “You know, sometimes I could be Lebanese.”
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O’Donnell, who revealed that she was a lesbian in 2002, said the exchange felt “very threatening” because she was worried that her sexual behavior would be questioned.
“Everyone got it at home. Because I wouldn’t leave her there alone. I can’t. So we know, we’re really kind of decoding, coding, interacting, people who anyone knows. But, you know, the public isn’t really picking it.”
“The news media didn’t, and no one would ask at that time, but I remember it was very threatening.” “I took part in this very successful show. I won all the victories Emmy Awardsand it feels like, “Oh, this does threaten me”, but my internal clock still doesn’t allow me to distance myself from her. I had to stand beside her and hold her hand. This is what I chose to do. ”
DeGeneres revealed that she was a lesbian in the 1997 sitcom Ellen. (Brooks Steak)
Although she “provided a lot of money to stay”, O’Donnell said she left behind “Rosie O’Donnell’s performance” focused on her family, and he explained that she was disappointed when the current “host of Ellen DeGeneres” refused to know her.
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“She suddenly appeared where I started the show, hoping it would succeed and get the money and the honor that came with it,” O’Donnell said. “She didn’t decide to stand next to me and hold my hand, which is what I did to her, but did the opposite. I couldn’t believe it.”
O’Donnell, I’ve said it before Her appearance Together with DeGeneres, she never apologized. However, she claims DeGeneres has been in touch with her for many years.
“A lot of times, you know she’s already said or written to me and said, ‘Why are you still talking about this?’ You know, over the years, I don’t know how to answer.
She continued, “I will apologize. I will say, ‘I’m really sorry, I hurt you so much, I don’t know why I did it. It’s a mistake, I hope you forgive me.” That’s what I want to do.
O’Donnell claims she never received an apology from DeGeneres. (Stefanie Keenan)
“I don’t enjoy it again,” O’Donnell said. “I’m up again because our careers have already taken some parallel intertwined paths. And, I often know, you know, we’re gay talk show hosts, we’re about the same age. So people always ask me about this. And I’m having a hard time telling the truth.”
Fox News Digital has contacted a representative of DeGeneres for comment.
DeGeneres did not openly resolve her friendship with O’Donnell, nor did he say “every time” the Star’s friendship to her. But, she expressed support for O’Donnell in her hatred with the former president Donald Trump.
After Trump was elected, O’Donnell moved to Ireland, the former president shared a truth-clarifying social position in July 2025, and he threatened to revoke her citizenship. DeGeneres, who moved to the UK with his wife Portia de Rossi last year, posted a screenshot of Trump’s post on social media, writing “It’s good for you” and tagged O’Donnell.
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