Rosie O’Donnell secretly returned to US to test safety

Rosie O’Donnell quietly returned to the United States for a short, private visit to assess whether it felt safe to be back in the country following public citizenship threats from Donald Trump.

The comedian made the revelation during an appearance with Chris Cuomo on SiriusXM, saying she spent roughly two weeks in the US without announcing the trip publicly. 

The visit allowed her to see family members, reconnect with her children, and evaluate how easy it would be to travel in and out of the country if needed in the future. 

“I wanted to see how hard it would be for me to get in and out of the country,” she said on Cuomo Mornings. “I wanted to feel what it felt like. I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year.”

O’Donnell explained she also wanted to understand what it felt like to physically be back after living abroad for over a year.

The former talk show host relocated to Ireland in early 2025 with her youngest child, saying the move provided a greater sense of balance and distance from intense political and media environments. 

While she said she does not regret leaving, O’Donnell described feeling unsettled by the atmosphere during her return visit, calling the overall energy “scary.”

The trip was also partly motivated by family planning, as she considers spending future summers in the US with relatives while maintaining her life overseas.