Rosie O’Donnell reveals she fled America for Ireland three months ago

Actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell has gone public with a massive life change she secretly underwent three months ago.

Rosie O’Donnell has officially left the United States.

After hinting about her relocation last week, in a new TikTok video, the television personality confirmed she moved to Ireland on January 15 with her 12-year-old daughter Dakota.

“It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I’m very grateful,” O’Donnell, 62, said in the clip.

The comedian added that she is “in the process” of getting her Irish citizenship since her grandparents are from the country.

“I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are,” O’Donnell explained.

However, the actress admitted that she already misses the other members of her family.

“You know, I’m happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”

Alluding to policies implemented by President Donald Trump, O’Donnell explained, “It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.”

In Dublin, the “SMILF” alum has found everyone to be “friendly” and has also “met a bunch of people” in the two months since moving across the globe.

Despite enjoying her new life, O’Donnell felt obligated to update her fans, adding she was “sorry for those of you who were worried and who missed me.”

O’Donnell revealed she’d been quietly living a new life in Ireland for the past three months.

“I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through. And now as we’re getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what’s been going on,” she confessed.

Concluding her TikTok video, O’Donnell signed off with some sound advice.

“Protect your sanity is all I can say. Protect your sanity as much as you can, and try not to swim in the chaos if possible, but I know it’s nearly impossible when you’re there in the middle of it,” she told her followers.

“And I think about everyone every day and the United States of America. And I am hoping that we can turn things around, counting on you, all of you, to do what’s right. And I think deep down inside, we all know what that is.”

O'Donnell said President Trump’s policies made her decide to leave the country. Picture: Angela Weiss / AFP

The star’s news comes on the heels of her Instagram posts earlier this month, in which she first seemingly implied she had ditched the US for Ireland. One picture showed O’Donnell behind the wheel of a vehicle, with a caption noting that she was driving on the opposite side of the road than in America.

“Bought a little used car to tool around the countryside on the wrong side of the road,” the former “View” co-host wrote. “Hit the curb three times — thought I hit a cat !!! #newadventures.”

Another snap included Dakota sitting in the back seat of the car with a backpack next to her. O’Donnell wrote beneath the snap that she was taking her daughter to class, adding that she “can’t wait to walk to school” with her.

However, O’Donnell is not in a league of her own. Other celebrities also took the opportunity to leave the United States after President Trump was elected.

Ellen and her Aussie wife Portia also fled the US, moving to the English countryside. Picture: Kelly Sullivan/Getty

Eva Longoria and her family have fled the United States for life in Mexico and Spain.

“I had my whole adult life here,” the actress, 49, told Marie Claire in November. “But even before [the pandemic], it was changing. The vibe was different. And then COVID happened, and it pushed it over the edge. Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to s**t on California — it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now.”

“The shocking part is not that he won,” Longoria said of Trump’s victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris. “It’s that a convicted criminal who spews so much hate could hold the highest office.”

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi also swapped their luxurious life in Montecito, California, for the English countryside after Trump’s win.

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission.

Originally published as Rosie O’Donnell reveals she fled America for Ireland three months ago