Rosie O'Donnell recently shared a deeply personal and painful memory regarding her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres, revealing a pivotal moment that irrevocably altered their friendship. Speaking on Mamamia's "No Filter" podcast, O'Donnell recounted Ellen's appearance on "Larry King Live" in 2004, where, when asked about the end of O'Donnell's talk show, DeGeneres stated, "I don't know, Rosie. We're not friends." This statement, O'Donnell explained, was one of the most profoundly hurtful experiences of her career.
Their decades-long friendship, marked by shared photos of O'Donnell's children held by DeGeneres, seemed to crumble. O'Donnell noted that she was only invited onto DeGeneres' talk show long after its launch, a fact that fueled her perception of a shift in their dynamic. She felt DeGeneres, having achieved her own talk show success, chose not to support O'Donnell as O'Donnell had supported her earlier in their careers, particularly during DeGeneres' own coming-out moment.
This brings us back to 1997, when DeGeneres' sitcom character came out as a lesbian. O'Donnell, who had DeGeneres on her show months prior, described feeling a strong responsibility to stand by her friend and refused to let DeGeneres face the repercussions alone. O'Donnell recalls a coded conversation with DeGeneres where they implicitly affirmed their shared identities, a moment O'Donnell viewed as a testament to their bond at the time. This highlights the complexities of their relationship and the stark contrast between their earlier mutual support and the later perceived betrayal.
While O'Donnell has publicly discussed their falling out before, she also confirmed that DeGeneres later reached out to apologize. The anecdote serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of long-term friendships, particularly within the high-pressure environment of the entertainment industry, and the lasting impact of seemingly small moments of perceived rejection.
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Originally published at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rosie-odonnell-ellen-degeneres-painful-moment-friendship-falling-out_n_68c0c04be4b059d8ed364dc0
