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Talk show legend Rosie O’Donnell packed up and moved to Ireland in early 2025 amid Donald Trump‘s second term as president. Now, over a year later, the actress and comedian says she’s considering moving back despite previously being fearful for her nonbinary child and how his second term could impact their lives.

Rosie O’Donnell Has A Personal Reason For Returning

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The former talk show host appeared on Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast in July 2026 to discuss a variety of topics, including her new one-woman show, “Common Knowledge.” During the conversation, her life in Ireland came up, with the 64-year-old revealing that she may return to the U.S. because one of her sons, Blake, became a father in March.

In discussing her plans, O’Donnell said, “I sold everything before I left, and so I’m hoping to get a place in New Jersey near my kids so that I could, when I’m home, we can have a home base here as well. You know? So I’m planning on doing that.”

The actress expressed that she was unsure how long it may be before she and her minor child move back to the States. According to her, “it really does depend on what happens politically in the country and if I feel mentally healthy enough to battle those demons.”

Rosie Says Trump ‘Ruins Everything’

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O’Donnell spoke to Variety in July 2026 and explained that her “major depressive disorder” made it difficult for her to function while also processing what she perceives to be chaos from the Trump Administration. While speaking to Bush, she stated that she sometimes feels she can handle the stresses that would come from living with Trump as her president.

She said, “Some days I feel very strong and other days I feel like, ‘Oh boy, this is a lot.’ You know? [Trump], like, bombards you. He’s always doing something. You can’t even watch the soccer game — he ruins everything, in my opinion.”

Regarding her life in Ireland, the mom of five says she removed all American news stations from her television, revealing, “I am so much calmer for it.”

She then explained, “I can’t tell you the difference that it makes for my mental health and my happiness level. Because it’s very, very hard to experience joy when you’re in the thick of the [Jeffrey] Epstein library; when you’re in the thick of that young boy who was left on the island by friends; that you can’t believe what the Supreme Court is doing, and doing boldly in front of everyone. Is he going to let us have elections? That’s my big question.”

The Media Personality Moved In January 2025

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O’Donnell took to her offical TikTok page in March 2025 to share that she and her child had moved to Ireland on January 15. Notably, the relocation came days before Trump’s inauguration on January 25, 2025.

She said in the almost 10-minute video, “I moved here on Jan. 15, and 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 added, “I’m in the process of getting my Irish citizenship, as I have Irish grandparents.”

The former talk show host then said, “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.” During the video, O’Donnell claimed she’d consider returning when America became “safe” and all citizens retained “equal rights.”

She added of the situation in her home country, “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.”

Rosie Recently Discussed Her Movie Career

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These days, O’Donnell remains somewhat active in Hollywood, making guest appearances on television shows such as “And Just Like That” and “Hacks” in 2025. However, it’s been quite some time since she’s starred in a movie. For context, her most recent starring role on the big screen was in 2015’s “Ride.”

O’Donnell opened up about her hiatus from film in her recent interview with Variety. She explained, “You know, I don’t know. I think that when I was on TV, once you get known as yourself, it’s hard to blend into a movie role. I was lucky in that I had some very wonderful roles in my over 50 years, and the last one I did was ‘I Know This Much Is True’ with Mark Ruffalo on HBO.”

She added, “My goal was always to be an actress and to be on Broadway, not to be a stand-up comedian, so I’ve always felt very connected to that part of my career.”

‘Common Knowledge’ Opens Soon

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O’Donnell’s upcoming autobiographical one-woman show, “Common Knowledge,” is set to open at the Daryl Roth Theatre on July 22. The limited show is scheduled to run until August 8. The New York City production comes after successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as in Dublin, Glasgow, and Australia.

Per Broadway Shows, “Common Knowledge” is 75 minutes long.

The Rosie O’Donnell is Considering a Return to America Despite Trump first appeared on The Blast