Rosie O’Donnell Reveals Why She Left The U.S. For Ireland

Rosie O’Donnell has traded the daily turmoil in the United States for the rolling green hills of Ireland. The comedian and actor recently revealed on social media that she relocated to Dublin earlier this year, citing deep concerns over the state of American politics and a desire to prioritize her family’s well-being.

“I moved here on January 15, and it’s been pretty wonderful,” O’Donnell shared in a nearly ten-minute TikTok video, adding that she’s now in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship, thanks to her family roots in Donegal. “Although 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.”

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O’Donnell’s contentious history with Trump is well-documented, stretching back nearly two decades. From public insults to debate-stage jabs, Trump has bizarrely singled her out as a personal punching bag more than once. “It has been heartbreaking to see what is happening [in the U.S.] politically and hard for me personally as well,” she admitted.

“The personal is political, as we all know,” she said, adding that she and her child “needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through.”

Though she seems to be embracing her new life abroad, she admitted that the transition has come with its challenges. “I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home,” she reflected. Still, she remains hopeful that one day she’ll return—when the America she once knew feels safe for everyone again. “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”

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For now, O’Donnell is soaking in the hospitality of Ireland, a place she describes as “beautiful” and “welcoming.” She praised the people she’s met so far, saying, “The people are so loving, so kind and so welcoming.”

She also had a message for those still in the U.S.: “I encourage everyone to stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country, and not a king and not a man and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style.”