{"id":2011704,"date":"2025-09-10T14:55:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2011704"},"modified":"2025-09-10T14:55:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:55:18","slug":"rosie-odonnell-details-ellen-degeneres-painful-betrayal-i-couldnt-believe-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/rosie-odonnell-details-ellen-degeneres-painful-betrayal-i-couldnt-believe-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosie O&#8217;Donnell details Ellen DeGeneres&#8217; &#8216;painful&#8217; betrayal: &#8216;I couldn\u2019t believe it&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F09%2F111087216.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>This strained relationship is no laughing matter.<\/p>\n<p>Rosie O\u2019Donnell, 63, recently reflected on the fallout that happened between her and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/08\/27\/entertainment\/ellen-degeneres-was-a-nightmare-to-work-for-emmy-winning-staffer-claims\/\">Ellen DeGeneres, 67, <\/a>over twenty years ago. <\/p>\n<p>While on\u00a0Kate Langbroek\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=R61xhWx47io&amp;ab_channel=NoFilter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cNo Filter\u201d podcast<\/a> on Monday, the host asked the comic about the time her former friend revealed her sexuality on national television.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rosie O\u2019Donnell on Kate Langbroek\u2019s podcast. <span class=\"credit\">No Filter\/YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 1997, DeGeneres, along with her character, came out on an episode of her sitcom \u201cEllen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell explained that watching that episode as someone who was still in the closet felt \u201cvery threatening.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>At the time, the actress was hosting her daytime talk show, \u201cThe Rosie O\u2019Donnell Show.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rosie O\u2019Donnell on the Day Her Friendship With Ellen Fell Apart\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R61xhWx47io?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe came on my show, and I felt strongly that I didn\u2019t want to leave her out there alone,\u201d O\u2019Donnell detailed. \u201cThat I could not (as a) gay person act as though I was not the same as her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before they went on-air the two spoke about their game plan. DeGeneres said she wanted to joke that her \u201cEllen\u201d character was going to \u201cbecome Lebanese.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell said she was going to go along with it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O\u2019Donnell at the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the interview, after DeGeneres made the joke, O\u2019Donnell replied that she could also be \u201cLebanese\u201d because she was a fan of American disc jockey Casey Kasem.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-25bdb8\">\u201cEveryone who was gay at home got it,\u201d O\u2019Donnell continued. \u201cBecause I wouldn\u2019t leave her out there alone. I couldn\u2019t do it. So we had this, you know, really sort of decoded, coded, interaction that anyone who was gay knew. But, you know, the public didn\u2019t really pick up on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd nobody would ask,\u201d she added. \u201cI remember it felt very threatening. I was on this very successful show. I was winning all the Emmy awards.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O\u2019Donnell. <span class=\"credit\">FilmMagic<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-e7cf45\">\u201cIt just felt like, \u2018Oh, this could really threaten me.\u2019 But still, my internal clock wouldn\u2019t allow me to distance myself from her,\u201d stated the star. \u201cI had to stand by her and hold her hand, and that\u2019s what I chose to do. Then, you know, it\u2019s funny, because she never really, I didn\u2019t think, appreciated that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After that moment, their friendship began to fracture.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell recalled being in bed with her then-wife Kelli Carpenter while they watched DeGeneres on \u201cLarry King Live.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>King, who died in 2021, asked DeGeneres about \u201cThe Rosie O\u2019Donnell Show\u201d ending after six seasons.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ellen DeGeneres on \u201cThe Rosie O\u2019Donnell Show.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The show aired its final episode in 2002. Despite being offered more money to return, O\u2019Donnell was 40 and wanted to spend time with her kids.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe asked her, \u2018Whatever happened to Rosie O\u2019Donnell? Her show went down the tubes,\u2019\u201d she mimicked. \u201cAnd Ellen said, \u2018I don\u2019t know Rosie. We\u2019re not friends.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was like one of the most painful things that ever happened to me in show business in my life,\u201d O\u2019Donnell admitted.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rosie O\u2019Donnell on \u201cThe View.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9ABC\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d she went on. \u201cI have photos of her holding my newborn babies. I knew her for 30 years. It was so upsetting to me that I had t-shirts made [that said] \u2018I don\u2019t know Rosie. We\u2019re not friends\u2019 and I gave them out to my staff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was very painful and, you know, we\u2019ve never sort of gotten over it,\u201d O\u2019Donnell noted.<\/p>\n<p>After Langbroek asked if DeGeneres ever reached out to explain herself, O\u2019Donnell simply replied, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not similar,\u201d she pressed. \u201cI can say that for sure. We\u2019re not emotionally similar.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ellen DeGeneres talks about being \u201cLebanese\u201d with Rosie O\u2019Donnell.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Post reached out to a rep for DeGeneres for comment.<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell also noted that after\u00a0\u201cThe Ellen DeGeneres Show\u201d\u00a0debuted in 2003, she was never asked on until many seasons later.<\/p>\n<p>The series included the same production team from \u201cThe Rosie O\u2019Donnell Show.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Season 3 of \u201cThe Ellen Show.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">\u00a9Warner Bros\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite not blaming DeGeneres for seizing the moment, O\u2019Donnell did think her ex-pal could have handled things differently. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did think that she was all of a sudden in the position I was in, where she was starting a show and wanted it to be successful and get the money and the accolades that came with it,\u201d O\u2019Donnell explained. \u201cAnd instead of deciding to stand next to me and hold my hand, which is what I did to her, she did the opposite. I couldn\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell\u00a0has previously spoken about the demise of her friendship with DeGeneres.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ellen Degeneres and Portia Di Rossi in the UK. <span class=\"credit\">@ellendegeneres\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cOD8MyUOZY0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cWatch What Happens Live\u201d<\/a> in 2023, she recounted the Larry King story, adding, \u201cI turned to Kelli and went, \u2018Did I just hear that or was that a hallucination?\u2019 And that\u2019s what happened and it hurt my feelings like a baby and I never really got over it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wish her all good things in her life and that she should be well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Ellen DeGeneres Show\u201d ran for 19 seasons from 2003 to 2022. Its end came on the heels of 2020 allegations\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/09\/24\/entertainment\/ellen-degeneres-sought-therapy-after-toxic-workplace-scandal\/\">of a toxic work environment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Ellen DeGeneres steps out for lunch in the UK. <span class=\"credit\">BACKGRID<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>DeGeneres addressed the accusations during the opening monologue on the first episode of her 18th season. She issued an on-air apology and called herself \u201ca work in progress\u201d before adding she is \u201cespecially working on the impatience thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DeGeneres finished her last stand-up tour in 2024 and has since retired. In November, she\u00a0and\u00a0her wife, Portia de Rossi,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/11\/21\/entertainment\/ellen-degeneres-portia-de-rossi-moving-to-england-after-donald-trumps-election-win-report\/\">relocated to the UK<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0Donald Trump\u2019s presidential win.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about the allegations against DeGeneres, O\u2019Donnell said on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rosie-odonnell\/id1527623861?i=1000489207971\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Busy Philipps\u2019 podcast<\/a>\u00a0at the time, \u201cYou can\u2019t fake your essence.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rosie O\u2019Donnell and her child Clay. <span class=\"credit\">rosie\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s why I have compassion for Ellen, right? I have compassion, even though, you know, I hear the stories and I understand. I think she has some social awkwardness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>O\u2019Donnell, meanwhile, also <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/04\/23\/entertainment\/rosie-odonnell-details-new-life-in-ireland-admits-shes-shocked-ellen-degeneres-left-the-us\/\">relocated to Ireland with her child, Clay,<\/a> following the election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know myself enough to know that this was something I needed to do for the safety and sanity of myself and my non-binary child,\u201d O\u2019Donnell\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/news\/rosie-odonnell-details-ireland-move-and-connection-with-ellen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told Us Weekly<\/a> in April.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This strained relationship is no laughing matter. Rosie O\u2019Donnell, 63, recently reflected on the fallout that happened between her and Ellen DeGeneres, 67, over twenty years ago. While on\u00a0Kate Langbroek\u2019s \u201cNo Filter\u201d podcast on Monday, the host asked the comic about the time her former friend revealed her sexuality on national television. Rosie O\u2019Donnell on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2011705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25174],"tags":[21751,106601,352776,21741,318052],"class_list":["post-2011704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gossip","tag-celebrities","tag-celebrity-friendships","tag-ellen-degeneres","tag-entertainment","tag-rosie-odonnell"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Rosie-ODonnell-details-Ellen-DeGeneres-painful-betrayal-I-couldnt-believe.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2011704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2011705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2011704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2011704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2011704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}