Rosie O’Donnell has revealed that she was left terrified for her youngest child when they ‘wouldn’t leave the house’ before leaving the US.
The legendary comedian moved to Ireland at the beginning of the year after Donald Trump’s second presidency, and was joined by her 12-year-old child, who goes by Clay.
The 62-year-old, who has been embroiled in a decades-long feud with the controversial president, explained that she would consider returning to America only when ‘it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there’.
Speaking to People Magazine about how her decision has improved her relationship with the pre-teen, who is autistic and non-binary, she opened up about her fears for their safety at low points.
‘They would not leave the house,’ she said. ‘They go into themselves in a way that is somewhat scary for the parent. They would come home from school and not want a play date. They like to be alone. It was me and Clay. And it got very isolating and very lonely.’
Rosie shared that Clay, who also suffers from Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), would rarely communicate with anyone, instead focus on drawing, digital animations and watching YouTube.
She then saw a change in the artwork they would produce, which left her worried for their safety.
‘I was afraid because Clay’s drawings were getting darker and some of their thoughts were scaring me. Some of their pictures had bloody knives and talk of violence,’ she continued.
‘I just didn’t know what was happening. I was like, “Wait, wait, wait, wait. Don’t float away from me.” I was very, very afraid.’
Following Trump’s return to office in January, the former host of the View decided to leave the US for his second term – vowing that she ‘needed to’ make the move for her family, and her ‘own sanity’.
The pair have since settled down in Ireland with their new dog, Kuma, but Rosie’s other children, Parker, Blake, Chelsea and Vivienne, have yet to join them.
Raving about the ‘wonderful’ move, she shed light on how the changes had impacted Clay’s wellbeing, adding: ‘There was a darkness and kind of a loneliness that is gone, and I credit the dog with that.
‘Clay did say to me about four weeks ago, “Mom, it’s better here.” They said, “It’s calmer, and you get to be a real person.” That’s pretty profound, right?
Rosie’s bitter battle with Trump has been raging for nearly 20 years, and stemmed from the moment she called him out on the View in 2006.
Appearing on the Late Late Show last month, she lifted the lid on their row and how his ongoing barbs made her relocation a no-brainer.
‘The President of the United States has it out for me and has for 20 years, when I told the truth about him on a program called The View – where it was my job to talk about pop culture, politics…,’ she told the host.
‘I mentioned his bankruptcies, I mentioned all of the sexual assault charges and I mentioned that he was not, in fact, the businessman that everyone thinks he is because of the show, The Apprentice, where they sold a bunch of lies to America for over 10 years, and half of America believed it.
‘He was very angry to say the least, and he hasn’t let it go. And he uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need.
‘He’s been doing it for two decades and I’m still not used to it every time he does.’
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