Rosie O'Donnell
O'Donnell at a tailgate party before a Barbra Streisand concert.
Born	Roseann Theresa O'Donnell
Years active	1979 - present
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Partner	Kelli Carpenter
Website	Rosie.com

Roseann Theresa "Rosie" O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an 11-time Emmy Award-winning American talk show host, television personality, comedienne, film, television, and stage actress.

Early life

O'Donnell was the third of five children born to Edward and Roseann O'Donnell. Four days before her 11th birthday on March 17, 1973, O'Donnell's mother died of breast cancer.^[1]

In high school, she began exploring her comic interest beginning with a high school skit in which she imitated Gilda Radner’s character Roseanne Rosannadanna.^[1]

After graduating, O'Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to Boston University but dropped out.

Early career

Stand-up/Club Comedienne

Rosie toured standup clubs from 1979 to 1984.^[2] She got her first big break on Star Search, explaining on Larry King Live:^[3]

TV Career Takes Off

I was 20 years old, and I was at a comedy club in Long Island. This woman came over to me and she said, I think you're funny. Can you give me your number? My dad is Ed McMahon. I was like, yeah, right. I gave her my father's phone number. I was living at home, I'm like, whatever. And about three days later, the talent booker from Star Search called and said, we're going to fly you out to L.A. [...] I won, like, five weeks in a row. And it gave me national exposure.

After this success, she moved on to television sitcom comedy, making her series debut as Nell Carter's neighbor on Gimme a Break! in 1986.

In 1988, she transitioned to VH1, where she hosted Stand-up Spotlight, a showcase for up-and-coming comedians. In 1992 she starred in Stand By Your Man, an offbeat comedy on Fox co-starring Melissa Gilbert as the "rich girl" to O'Donnell's "trailer trash". That sitcom bombed, just as O'Donnell's movie career took off.

Movie Career Takes Off

O'Donnell made her feature film debut in A League Of Their Own playing a wise-cracking third-basewoman with co-stars Tom Hanks and Madonna. In Sleepless in Seattle she was the best buddy to Meg Ryan character's. She played Betty Rubble in the live-action Flintstones movie with John Goodman; with co-star Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls she was the blunt Gina who spelled out what artificial and real beauty really were; for Disney she voiced a female gorilla in Tarzan and she became a baseball-loving nun in M. Night Shyamalan's Wide Awake.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

In 1996, she began hosting a daytime talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show. The show proved extremely successful, winning multiple Emmy awards, and earning O'Donnell the title of "The Queen of Nice" for her style of light-hearted banter with her guests and interactions with the audience. Rosie's love of Broadway was evident on the show as she would talk about new plays, bring in cast members of plays and encourage the audience to see shows while they were in town. As part of her playful banter with her studio audience, O'Donnell often flung koosh balls at the crowd and camera.^[4]

On the show, O'Donnell frequently highlighted various charitable projects, often boosting awareness and donations to these causes. After the September 11th Attacks, she announced that she would donate one million dollars for aid in the (then) rescue efforts. She encouraged other celebrities and citizens alike to "give till it hurts". In 2002, she left her talk show. The show was then hosted by comedian Caroline Rhea (the show was renamed The Caroline Rhea Show) and ran for one additional season.

Gun control controversies

After the Columbine High School massacre O'Donnell became an outspoken supporter of gun control and a major figure in the Million Mom March. During the April 19, 1999, broadcast of her talk show, she stated, "You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison". O'Donnell has since regretted making the remarks and has attempted to reconcile her stance by remarking, "I don't personally own a gun, but if you are qualified, licensed and registered, I have no problem."^{[citation needed]}

On May 19, 1999, O'Donnell interviewed actor Tom Selleck, who was promoting a film The Love Letter.^[5] After a commercial break, O'Donnell confronted him about his recent commercial for the NRA^[6] and challenge him about the NRA's position on the use of assault rifles. According to Selleck, the two had agreed not to discuss the topic prior to his appearance on the show. O'Donnell maintains that Selleck and his publicist had been informed that the topic would be discussed. She subsequently said on the show that the interview had "not gone the way I had hoped it had gone. But, I would like to thank you for appearing anyway, knowing that we have differing views. I was happy that you decided to come on the show. And if you feel insulted by my questions, I apologize, because it was not a personal attack. I was meant to bring up the subject as it is in the consciousness of so many today."^[7]

Also in May 1999, Bernadette Peters and the rest of the cast from Annie Get Your Gun was to appear for taping and perform the song "Anything You Can Do". O'Donnell insisted that the line "I can shoot a partridge with a single cartridge" be removed from the song. Peters refused, and the cast sang a different song without her.

Later in 1999, O'Donnell discontinued her contract with Kmart as their spokeswoman. Gun enthusiasts complained that she shouldn't be the spokeperson for the largest gun retailer. Kmart employees told the New York Daily News that it was Kmart who terminated the agreement with O'Donnell, which both Kmart and O'Donnell denied publicly.^[8]

In May 2000, O'Donnell's bodyguard applied for a concealed firearm permit in Connecticut. O'Donnell stated that it was not she who requested the permit, but Kroll, the security firm through which the guard was hired and was contracted by O'Donnell's employer Warner Brothers. Numerous parents of children who attended the same school as O'Donnell's children expressed their concern about the possibility of O'Donnell's bodyguard being armed while on school grounds. O'Donnell confirmed "the guard does not normally have a gun, but is trained in self-defense techniques. And there was never any intention of his carrying a gun at school." O'Donnell added that because of threats, she and her family -- including 4-year-old Parker who will be attending school next fall -- need protection, which she attributes, ironically, to her "tough gun-control rhetoric".^[9][10]

Charitable Works

Charitable Book Deal

In May of 1996, Warner Books advances O'Donnell $3 million to write a memoir. She uses the money to seed her For All Kids foundation to help institute national standards for day care across the country. Her memoir, Find Me, was released in April 2002 and became the second highest on the New York Times Bestseller List.^[11]

Listerine Charity Kissing

Fineman Associates public relations in San Francisco awarded top prize to Procter & Gamble Co.'s designation of O'Donnell as "unkissable" in a promotion for its Scope mouthwash on the 1997 annual list of the nation's worst public relations blunders.^[12] In response to the promotion, the "unkissable" O'Donnell partnered with Warner Lambert's competing mouthwash Listerine who donated bottles of Listerine to the studio audience and agreed to donate $1,000 to charity every time a hosted guest would kiss her up to $500,000 in exchange for O'Donnell plugging their product for free. On occasion, the guests would offer multiple kisses, building exhilaration and humor as the effective donation volume rose just because a guest decided to kiss her again and again.People magazine reports "She smooched her way to more than $350,000."^[13]

Personal contribution

On Friday December 15, 2006, at a one-night charity event on the cruiseship Norwegian Pearl, Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director for the Rosie's For All Kids Foundation, confirmed that $50 million from her five-year contract with the Rosie O'Donnell Show were donated in an irrevocable trust to charity.^[14]

"For All Kids" foundation

Since 1997, Rosie's For All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in Early Childhood Care and Education program grants to over 900 nonprofit organizations.^[15] On October 30, 2006 she was honored by the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.^{[citation needed]} "It's our privilege to be honoring and hosting Rosie," said NYSPCC president David Stack in a statement. "Her Rosie's for All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to over 1,400 child-related organizations, and that's just one of her many impressive activities on behalf of children."

On November 1, 2006, Nightline aired a video report^[16] about the opening of The Children's Plaza and Family Center in Renaissance Village, a FEMA trailer park in Louisiana. This was an emergency response initiative of Rosie's For All Kids Foundation with the help of many local nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses, all efforts were to assist the families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

On May 18, 2007, Rosie and Pogo Games announced a joint-effort to raise money for Rosie's All Kids Foundation. EA, which owns Pogo, committed $30,000 and more money can be raised based on the amount of playing time people spend on certain games. They are also holding a sweepstakes in which winners get to fly to New York and meet Rosie and attend a charity function as her guest.

"Rosie's Broadway Kids"

In 2003, Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell collaborated with Artistic Director Lori Klinger to create "Rosie's Broadway Kids", dedicated to providing free instruction in music and dance to New York City public schools or students. Rosie's Broadway Kids serves more than 4,500 teachers, students, and their family members at 21 schools.^[17] Currently programs are in Harlem, Midtown West, Chelsea, Lower East Side, East Village, and Chinatown.

Rosie Magazine

In 2000, O'Donnell partnered with the publishers of McCall's to revamp the magazine as Rosie's McCall's (or, more commonly, Rosie). The magazine was launched as a competitor to fellow talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey's monthly magazine. Rosie covered issues including depression, breast cancer, foster care, and other matters of concern to O'Donnell. With a strong start and a circulation close to 3.5 million things looked promising but the magazine stumbled as conflicts emerged between O'Donnell and the editors. The contract gave O'Donnell control over editorial process and editorial staff but veto power remained with publisher Gruner+Jahr USA. O'Donnell quit the magazine in September 2002 following a dispute over editorial control. "If I'm going to have my name and my brand on the corner of a magazine, it has to be my vision" she told People.^[18] Rosie magazine folded in 2003.

In late 2003, O'Donnell and the publishers each sued the other for breach of contract. The publishers claimed that, by removing herself from the magazine's publication, she was in breach of contract. The trial received considerable press coverage. O'Donnell would often give brief press interviews outside of the courtroom responding to various allegations. Of note was a former magazine colleague and breast cancer survivor who testified that O'Donnell said to her on the phone that people who lie "get sick and they get cancer. If they keep lying, they get it again".^[19] O'Donnell apologized the next day and stated "I'm sorry I hurt her the way I did, that was not my intention." The judge ruled against both sides and dismissed the case.

In 2006, O'Donnell responded to a question on the "Ask Ro" section of her website in which she stated that she would love to do another magazine. O'Donnell also said she has written a new book, due out this summer. It is to be called Celebrity Detox.

Books

In 2002, O'Donnell wrote Find Me, a combination of memoir, mystery and detective story with an underlying interest in re-uniting birth mothers with their children. In addition to cataloging her childhood and early adulthood, the book delved into O'Donnell's relationship with a woman with Multiple Personality Disorder who posed as an under-aged teen who had become pregnant by rape. The book reached number two on the New York Times bestseller list.

On September 18, 2007, O'Donnell will release Celebrity Detox, her second memoior which will focus on the struggles with leaving fame behind, noting her exits on The Rosie O'Donnell Show and later The View.

Coming Out Publicly

In her January 31, 2002, appearance on the sitcom Will & Grace, she played a lesbian mom. A month later as part of her act at the Ovarian Cancer Research benefit at Caroline's Comedy Club O'Donnell came out as a lesbian announcing "I'm a dyke!" "I don't know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing. ... People are confused, they're shocked, like this is a big revelation to somebody."^[20] The announcement came two months before the end of the hosting of her talk show.

Although she also cited the need to put a face to gays and lesbians her primary reason was to bring attention to the gay adoption issue. O'Donnell also is a foster — and adoptive — mother. She protested against adoption agencies, particularly in Florida, that refused adoptive rights to gay and lesbian parents.

Diane Sawyer interviewed O'Donnell in a March 14 2002 show, PrimeTime Thursday, she told USA TODAY she chose to talk to Sawyer because she wanted an investigative piece on Florida's ban on gay adoption. She told Sawyer if that was done, "I would like to talk about my life and how (the case) pertains to me." She spoke about the two gay men in Florida who face having a foster child they raised removed from their home. State law won't let them adopt because Florida bans bisexual or homosexual people from adopting.^[21]

Image transformation

After leaving her show and coming out, O'Donnell returned to stand-up comedy, and cut her hair in a severe style. Within her first few shows, she abandoned the "Queen of Nice" image she had previously cultivated. She made fun of various celebrities, among them Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Winona Ryder, and Joan Rivers.

O'Donnell told the press that her haircut was meant to mimic the haircut of former Culture Club backup singer Helen Terry.^[22] She subsequently attributed the haircut as a way to emulate Boy George, in hopes that he would allow her to produce his stage show Taboo. O'Donnell subsequently invested in and produced the show, but it was an expensive failure on Broadway.

Family life

On February 26, 2004, O'Donnell entered legal union with Kelli Carpenter, a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, in San Francisco, some two weeks after mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her decision to go to San Francisco to marry Carpenter came as a show of defiance against President George W. Bush over his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. The license was voided by the California Supreme Court.

The couple are parents to adopted children Parker Jaren (born May 25, 1995), Chelsea Belle (born September 20, 1997), and Blake Christopher (born December 5, 1999). Their fourth child, Vivienne Rose (who was conceived through sperm donation) was born November 29, 2002 to Carpenter.

O'Donnell and her family currently reside in Nyack, New York, a suburb of New York City that is located in Rockland County.

The View

During the 2006 Daytime Emmy Awards, Barbara Walters announced that O'Donnell would become a co-host on the talk show The View. On September 5 2006, she officially replaced Meredith Vieira as a co-host and moderator of the show and was to join the cast including Star Jones who instead opted to quit, some speculating Jones' more conservative views would be in constant tension with O'Donnell's more liberal counterpoint. Another theory was that O'Donnell had disputed Jones' route of rapid weight loss, alluding that it must have been gastric bypass surgery rather than dieting and exercise alone.

Quickly acclimating to a four-person format, O'Donnell led the daytime women's chatfest as the anchor steering the opening "Hot Topics" portion of the show where newsworthy items were discussed. Unlike previous seasons, however, politics and taboo subjects were readily explored with the two comics (O'Donnell and Joy Behar) quickly finding humor in the news of the day and often giving strong opinions especially against President Bush's policies including the war in Iraq which was also losing support amongst Americans. As a counterpoint to O'Donnell's more liberal views, conservative co-hostess Elisabeth Hasselbeck would often support the Bush Administration's views and the they would get into an adversarial give-and-take at least until both had made their points.

Always outspoken, O'Donnell sometimes crossed a line with certain audiences when the comedienne would talk politics or veer into religious discussions, at one time stating "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam" or criticizing fellow TV personalities. In January, 2007 she questioned American Idol for airing auditions that humiliated aspiring singers. “To make fun of someone’s physical appearance. And when they leave the room, laugh hysterically at them. Three millionaires, one probably intoxicated.”^[23]

On April 19, the all-woman panel discussed the US Supreme Court ruling on Gonzales v. Carhart decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. She stated "Everyone agrees partial birth abortion is horrific. It’s horrific for anyone who has to decide it." She went on to quote a Gloria Steinem line, "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament." After a lengthy discussion she added, "You know what concerns me? How many Supreme Court judges are Catholic?"^[24], adding "How about separation of church and state in America?" View founder and co-host Barbara Walters confirmed during the discussion that all five of the Catholic Supremem Court Justices had upheld the ban.

O'Donnell is credited with helping The View be more news-focussed while still embracing the "fluff" of daytime TV talkshows discussing celebrities, fashion and food. Despite the overall downward trend for most daytime broadcast shows The View's ratings surged 27% over its year-ago Nielsen numbers with O'Donnell in the moderator's seat. Overall, "The View" was the fourth most watched show in all of daytime in the key demographic of women 18-49, and The View scored record ratings in the total viewer category with an average of 3.4 million viewers -- up 15% vs. the same time in 2005.^[25]

On April 25 2007, O'Donnell announced she would be leaving the show as a co-host when her contract expires in June because she and the network could not come to terms on the length of a new contract, but that she planned to return as an occasional correspondent.^[26]

After extensive interviews with insiders and industry analysts, the weekend editions of celebrity gossip shows, Entertainment Tonight^{[citation needed]} and Inside Edition^{[27][unreliable source?]} broadcast on Saturday, April 28, reported there was more to the issue than initially was announced. O'Donnell allegedly had decided as early as December, following what she perceived as Walters's half-hearted support during her ongoing controversy with Donald Trump, she would not renew her contract and began holding talks with at least one major studio about producing a new talk show. (On her personal blog, O'Donnell admitted interest in hosting an issues-oriented show with audience participation, a format introduced by Phil Donahue.) ^{[28][unreliable source?]} Both programs cited a New York Post Page Six article, a gossip column, detailing O'Donnell's failed attempt to oust Walters from her producer's chair and ABC's growing concerns with her unpredictable outbursts.^[29]

On the April 30 episode of The View, Walters announced there was no truth to any published or televised reports without referring to any specific sources. Walters also announced on The View that O'Donnell would be listed by Time Magazine as one of their 100 most influential people. Walters wrote the article for Time.

On Friday, May 25, 2007, it was announced by ABC and O'Donnell that she would not stay until the end of her contract (which is supposed to end on June 21, 2007). She requested early leave on May 25, after an on-air dispute with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. ABC granted her request.

Controversies

The View achieved higher ratings with O'Donnell's outspoken and candid nature moving the show into a newsworthy spectrum from traditional daytime talk fare. As a big-name talent she drew criticism for her opinions while keeping the show's "buzz factor up."^[30] The downside of being spontaneous and putting her views in front of a national audience was that such remarks were often subject of controversy and criticism, especially by conservative commenters and other media outlets, who recirculated comments and clips from the show.

Kelly Ripa / Clay Aiken

On November 20, 2006, O'Donnell commented on Live with Regis and Kelly co-host Kelly Ripa's actions during a taping of her show. Guest co-host Clay Aiken put his hand over Ripa's mouth, as if to stop her from talking, while she was conducting an interview. Seeing that Ripa didn't appreciate his action, he said, "Oh, I'm in trouble." Ripa responded, "No, I just don't know where that hand's been, honey." In response, O'Donnell said "to me that was a homophobic remark. If that was a straight man...if that was a guy that she didn't question his sexuality, she would have said a different thing". Within minutes, Ripa was on the phone, responding to O'Donnell's comments by saying it was "cold and flu season" and Aiken had been shaking hands with audience members before the show. Aiken steadfastly refuses to discuss his sexuality and has never stated if he were homosexual or not.^[31] O'Donnell and Ripa moved on from the incident but Aiken that night at the American Music Awards had his mouth covered by Tori Spelling as they were introducing John Mayer. Spelling put her hand over Aiken's mouth saying "I'll tell you where that hand's been later."

Accusations of Anti-Catholicism

O'Donnell has faced accusations of Anti-Catholicism on occasion. After a Supreme Court ruling on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act she stated, "You know what concerns me? How many Supreme Court judges are Catholic?", adding "How about separation of church and state in America?". She went on to say, "If men could get pregnant abortion would be a sacrament." Statements like this led conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham to urge her listeners to send protest e-mails to ABC for what she calls O'Donnell's "anti-Catholic bigotry."^[32]

Also William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, has accused O'Donnell of engaging in anti-Catholic bigotry on The View. The Catholic League issued a press release stating:

Ever since O’Donnell joined The View in September, the show has gotten out of control. On four occasions between September and the end of December, she has lashed out at the Catholic Church. Ditto for Joy Behar. Their relentless and profoundly ignorant attacks on the Catholic Church and its teachings would never be tolerated by the show’s co-owner, Barbara Walters, if it were Judaism or Islam that was under attack. But when it comes to Catholicism, she gives these two ‘raised’ Catholics all the time they want to vent their adolescent anger.^[33]

Mocking Chinese Language

On December 5, 2006, O'Donnell made a comment in reference to the November 29, 2006 appearance on The View by Danny DeVito who had been up and celebrating most of the night. O'Donnell was amazed that the controversy had become such an international media news item,^[34] and joked that it was being talked about as far away as China. "You know, you can imagine in China it's like, 'Ching-chong, ching-chong. Danny DeVito. Ching-chong, ching-chong-chong. Drunk. The View. Ching-chong.'"^[35]

The remarks sparked a backlash, as many interpreted her comments as a "mockery of the Chinese language."^[36] O'Donnell responded via her publicist that she is a comedian in addition to being a talk show co-host and that was part of her sense of humor. ^[37]

On December 14, 2006, the next show date, she apologized to the viewers saying, "To say ching chong to someone is very offensive, and some Asian people have told me it's as bad as the n-word. Which I was like, `Really? I didn't know that.'"^[38] "To anyone who was offended at my Chinese, Asian, pseudo-Japanese, sounded a little Yiddish accent that I was doing, you know, it was never [my] intent to mock, and I'm sorry for those who felt hurt or were teased on the playground.... But I'm also gonna give you a fair warning that there's a good chance I'll do something like that again, probably in the next week — not on purpose. Only 'cause it's how my brain works."^[38][39] Karen Lincoln Michel, president-elect of Unity: Journalists of Color Inc., said O'Donnell's remarks "really didn't sound like an apology to me." Michel said Unity was awaiting Walters to publicly acknowledge that O'Donnell's remarks were "patently offensive."^[38]

On February 24, 2007, O'Donnell wrote a more comprehensive apology on her blog^[40] with respect to this incident as a reply to the featured YouTube video "an open letter to all the Rosie O'Donnells" by Beau Sia.^[41]

Donald Trump Feud

On December 20, 2006, O'Donnell criticized billionaire Donald Trump on The View a day after he appeared before reporters with Miss USA, Tara Conner, to announce that he would allow her to continue acting as Miss USA, despite her violation of pageant guidelines by partying and drinking.^[42] O'Donnell said that, due to Trump's multiple marriages and apparent infidelities, he was not a moral authority for young people in America.

In response, Trump began a media blitz in which he repeatedly called her several unflattering, and perhaps even defamatory, names and even alluded to getting her partner Kelli away from O'Donnell.

British Royal Navy personnel seized by Iran

On the March 26, 2007, edition of The View, O'Donnell discussed the Iranian seizure of British Royal Navy personnel. She implied that the incident may be a hoax to provoke a war with Iran, stating:^[43]

There were 15 British sailors and marines who apparently went in to Iranian waters and they were seized by the Iranians. And I have one thing to say. Gulf of Tonkin. Google it.

She reiterated her beliefs on March 28, 2007, stating on her weblog that the British had intentionally sent forces into Iranian waters, triggering the hostage crisis as part of a false flag operation intended to precipitate the invasion of Iran, writing:^[44]

The British did it on purpose. [They went] into Iranian waters as the U.S. military builds up on the Iranian border. We will be in Iran before summer as planned.

Anti-Iraq War comments

O'Donnell has been very outspoken about her disdain for the Bush administration's policies and the war in Iraq, although public support for withdrawing the troops has steadily increased, the timetable for withdrawing troops is, as of yet, a point of disagreement. O'Donnell consistently brought up recent military deaths and news about the war.

On May 1, 2007 during a segment of The View, O'Donnell, prompted by guest co-host Ricki Lake, explained that some members of the armed forces joined because they were fleeing poverty and wanted to further pursue their education through the G.I. Bill, adding that there are an increasing number of convicted felons who currently serve in the US military.^[45] When challenged by co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, O'Donnell stated she "loved the military" and wanted to see them back home.

On May 17, 2007, O'Donnell rhetorically asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists?" She further explained, "If you were in Iraq and another country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?"^[46]. Conservative commentators responded by claiming that Rosie paralleled American troops to terrorists. Elisabeth Hasselbeck and O'Donnell were later involved in a heated argument on May 23, 2007 regarding the U.S. invading Iraq and the resulting occupation.^[47].

9/11 - 7 World Trade Center

On the same airdate as her remarks about the captured British troops, O'Donnell said that 7 World Trade Center had been imploded, in line with 9/11 conspiracy theories. "It is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved,"^[48][49] When asked by a co-presenter who she thought was responsible, she commented that she had no idea, but argued in a blog entry that the building was blown up to destroy evidence of the corporate financial scandals at Enron and WorldCom.^[49] O'Donnell said:^[50]

I do believe that it's the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7 — building 7, which collapsed in on itself — it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade Center 1 and 2 got hit by planes — 7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible. To say that we don’t know that it imploded, that it was an implosion and a demolition, is beyond ignorant. Look at the films, get a physics expert here [on the show] from Yale, from Harvard, pick the school — [the collapse] defies reason.

Her comments were cheered by some of the studio audience. Talk show host Bill O'Reilly implied that "ABC should do something",^[51][52] but stopped short of calling for her firing. O'Donnell responded to O'Reilly's criticism on her blog, claiming that "...he edited my statements to make it seem as he wanted".^[53] On April 2 and 3, 2007 former Congressman Joe Scarborough, on his MSNBC show Scarborough Country explicitly called for ABC to fire O'Donnell.^[54][55]

On March 30, 2007, Popular Mechanics magazine posted a point-by-point response to O'Donnell's claims on its website, which included a scientific correction to O'Donnell's statement about steel and fire: Tower 7 housed the city's emergency command center, so there were a number of fuel tanks located throughout the building—including two 6000-gallon tanks in the basement that fed some generators in the building by pressurized lines. The working hypothesis is that this pressurized line was supplying fuel to the fire for a long period of time. Steel melts at about 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit—but it loses strength at temperatures as low as 400 F. When temperatures break 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, steel loses nearly 50 percent of its strength. It is unknown what temperatures were reached inside WTC7, but fires in the building raged for seven hours before the collapse.^[56] O'Donnell was planning to have Dr. David Ray Griffin, author of Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory ^[57] and Dr. Steven Jones on the show to debunk Popular Mechanics' claims. O'Donnell states on her blog, "I still believe explosives were used to bring down WTC 7".^[58]

Argument with Elisabeth Hasselbeck

On the May 23, 2007, episode of The View, O'Donnell became engaged in a heated debate with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.^[59] O'Donnell asserted that Hasselbeck was "cowardly" for not answering whether she believed O'Donnell thinks of American troops as terrorists (in reference to O'Donnell's comment earlier in the week in which she said 655,000 Iraqis have died since the United States invasion and asked "who are the terrorists"). O'Donnell also complained of how the media would portray her as a bully attacking "innocent pure Christian Elisabeth" whenever they disagreed on air. O'Donnell stated that she believed Republican pundits were misinterpreting her statements by accusing her of comparing American troops to terrorists, and had asked Hasselbeck if she agreed with the Republican pundits. Hasselbeck denied O'Donnell's accusation, claiming that she knew Rosie didn't think that US soldiers were "terrorists" but told O'Donnell that she needed to "defend herself" as it was not her place to defend controversial statements made by O'Donnell.

The debate became even more heated as co-hosts Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd made several attempts to stop the argument, including trying to change the discussion to topics like the results of Dancing With the Stars. When the feud continued past the five minute mark, Shepherd ventured to cut to commercial break promising Alicia Silverstone when the show returned. O'Donnell silenced the effort by saying "No, no, no we're not. No because we have a lot more time." Minutes later Behar endeavored again to end the argument by interjecting "Is there no commercial on this show? What are we on, PBS? Who is directing this show? Let's go to commercial!" Shepherd responded by asking Hasselbeck if her unborn child was "okay" after the heated argument, fearing for both the mother and child's health. The show did in fact cut to commercials shortly afterwards, and the subject was not resumed.

O'Donnell and ABC agreed to cut short her contract agreement on May 25, 2007 as a result of this issue.

In a press statement released May 25, 2007, Rosie O'Donnell bore no ill will towards Hasselbeck and says that she "loves all three women". However, in her blog, Ms. O'Donnell stated she has not talked to Ms. Hasselbeck and that she was in shock and "stunned" that Ms. Hasselbeck had brought up Trump. She later posted a video on her blog discussing her future relationship with Ms. Hasselback. In a subsequent blog posting, O'Donnell stated that "I haven't spoken to Elisabeth, and I probably ever won't".^[60] She also attempted to restate the controversial comment that had caused the feud with Hasselback saying, "the cowards who sent r [our] troops to this war . . . those men r [are] the terrorists."^[61] According to ABC News, O'Donnell said that she knew her time on the show was over when she saw the exchange reported in the newsmedia with the split screen effect showing her and Hasselbeck on either side. ABC News also reported that her arguments with Hasselbeck brought the show its best ratings ever.^[62]

JaHeRo (video blog)

Rosie started a video blog on her site which debuted on March 27, 2007, originally featuring only O'Donnell and Rosie's hair stylist and make-up artist Helene Macaulay, and on April 18 her writer from The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Janette Barber joined the cast. ^{[citation needed]} They call themselves Jahero, which has each of their first name's letters in it. Occasionally Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters make short cameo appearances. Jenny McCarthy appeared once briefly, as has Hasselbeck's mother-in-law and O'Donnell's mother-in-law, her life-partner Kelli's mother. Kathy Griffin also appeared, where she read some of the questions. Also, Ross Matthews is expected to make an appearance on June 5th of 2007. It has become so popular that Rosie and her creative team are currently considering an "on the road" version of the video blog, in which Jahero would star. Although they are unsure of the locations, fan-submitted suggestions will likely influence the tour. Their announced goal is to begin in summer 2007.

Works

Television

• Gimme a Break! (cast member from 1986–1987)
• Stand-Up Spotlight (1988–1991)
• Stand by Your Man (1992) (canceled after 2 months)
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996–2002) (also producer and executive producer)
• The Twilight of the Golds (1997)
• Jackie's Back! (1999) (cameo)
• Will & Grace (2002)
• Riding the Bus with My Sister (TV movie, 2005) (also executive producer)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (2005)
• Queer as Folk (TV series, 2005)
• The View (September 5 2006–May 27 2007)
• Nip/Tuck (2006) (2 Episodes in Season 4, 4 episodes in Season 5)

Theater

• Grease (1994) (as Betty Rizzo)
• Seussical (2001) (replacement for David Shiner)
• Fiddler on the Roof (2004) (replacement for Andrea Martin in 2005)

Filmography

• A League of Their Own (1992)
• Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
• Another Stakeout (1993)
• Fatal Instinct (1993)
• Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
• I'll Do Anything (1994)
• The Flintstones (1994)
• Exit to Eden (1994)
• Now and Then (1995)
• Beautiful Girls (1995)
• Harriet the Spy (1996)
• A Very Brady Sequel (1996) (Cameo)
• Wide Awake (1998)
• Get Bruce (1999) (documentary)
• Tarzan (1999) (voice)
• The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)
• Artists and Orphans: A True Drama (2001) (short subject) (narrator)
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) (Archive footage)
• Last Party 2000 (2001) (documentary)
• The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch (2005) (documentary)
• Show Business (2005) (documentary)
• Pursuit of Equality (2005) (documentary)
• All Aboard: Rosie's Family Cruise (2006) (documentary) (also executive producer)

Award ceremonies

• Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (Host) (1997-2003)
• 54th Annual Tony Awards (Host) (2000)
• 42nd Annual Grammy Awards (Host) (2000)

Books

• Find Me (2002)
• Celebrity Detox (2007)

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards

• 1997 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell

• 1998 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• 1998 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell (tied with Oprah Winfrey)

• 1999 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• 1999 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell

• 2000 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• 2000 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell

• 2001 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• 2001 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell (tied with Regis Philbin)

• 2002 Outstanding Talk Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• 2002 Outstanding Talk Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell

Emmy Awards

• 1999 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, 52nd Annual Tony Awards

References

External links

• Official site
• Rosie O'Donnell at IMDb
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• Rosie O'Donnell at the Internet Broadway Database

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