Comedian Rosie O’Donnell has quietly slipped back into the United States after spending more than a year living in Ireland, making a concealed two-week trip to reconnect with her children and determine whether it was “safe” for her youngest to visit during the summer.
The 63-year-old actress and former talk show host shared details of the trip during her Friday, February 13, 2026 appearance on Chris Cuomo’s SiriusXM program “Cuomo Mornings,” noting she had kept the visit hidden while feeling out a country she says seems drastically changed since she left.
O’Donnell said the United States felt “like a very different country, a very different place” after spending a year away from American media and culture while living in Ireland.
She moved to Ireland in January 2025 with her 12-year-old child Clay, who is nonbinary and autistic, just five days before President Donald Trump began his second term. The move followed a long-running feud between O’Donnell and Trump that began roughly twenty years ago after her on-air criticism of him during her time on “The View.”
The conflict intensified last July when President Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling O’Donnell a “Threat to Humanity” and claiming he was giving “serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to news of O’Donnell’s relocation by telling reporters, “What great news for America!”
Her return trip was fueled by several reasons beyond seeing her children. The “A League of Their Own” star said she wanted to test how challenging it would be to travel in and out of the U.S. and to confirm it would be safe for Clay to come back during the upcoming summer break.
As a mother of five, O’Donnell has deeply personal motivations for staying connected to the U.S. Her son Blake and his wife Teresa are expecting their first child in March 2026, which will make her a grandmother for the fifth time—her daughter Chelsea already has four children. She also hoped to visit her other adult children, Parker, Chelsea, and Vivienne, whom she had not seen in over a year.
While living abroad, O’Donnell intentionally stepped away from American news and entertainment, saying Ireland is a place where “celebrity worship does not exist” and where world news is presented with more balance. She said this distance allowed her to see the United States differently when she returned.
The visit left her uneasy. O’Donnell said the atmosphere felt “scary,” adding that there is “a feeling that something is really wrong, and no one is doing anything about it.”
Despite her criticism of the current political climate, O’Donnell rejected Trump’s summer threat to strip her citizenship. Under the 14th Amendment, a president cannot take away the citizenship of a person born in the United States—and O’Donnell was born in Commack, New York. She emphasized that only she has the power to renounce her citizenship and stated she would never choose to do so. Instead, she is pursuing dual citizenship with Ireland while keeping her American status.
O’Donnell confirmed she was applying for Irish citizenship during an October 2025 interview with the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph, explaining she is eligible through her Irish grandparents. At that time, she said she intended to stay connected to both countries while enjoying the advantages of living abroad.
She told Cuomo she has no second thoughts about moving overseas, calling the decision vital for her well-being and for Clay’s. She praised Irish culture for its gentle environment and the kindness she has experienced there, saying it has been positive for her child.
The bitter dispute between O’Donnell and Trump has unfolded publicly for years, with both trading insults through media interviews and social media. Trump renewed his attacks in September 2025, posting on Truth Social that O’Donnell “is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!” His threat to revoke her citizenship marked one of the more extreme turns in their feud—though legal experts consistently note such a move is unconstitutional.
O’Donnell insists she remains “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 trip indicates she expects to stay involved in both countries despite the political upheaval that led to her departure.
The comedian intends to spend the summer in the U.S. with her family during Clay’s school vacation from Ireland—an extended visit during which she will also meet her newest grandchild, due in March.
