Trump nemesis Rosie O'Donnell joins the growing list of celebrities leaving the United States

Samritha Arunasalam · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 1:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Comedian and erstwhile talk-show big Rosie O'Donnell has joined the increasing database of celebrities who person talked astir leaving the United States oregon person already left, citing the president and existent governmental clime arsenic reasons.

In a video posted on TikTok connected Tuesday, the 62-year-old said that she had moved to Ireland connected Jan. 15 and was presently successful the process of getting her Irish citizenship arsenic she has Irish grandparents.

And adjacent though she didn't notation Trump by name, she said, "It's been heartbreaking to spot what's happening politically and hard for maine personally arsenic well. The idiosyncratic is political, arsenic we each know."

The League of Their Own star described her determination to Ireland saying, "It's been beauteous wonderful, I person to say. The radical are truthful loving and truthful kind, truthful welcoming. And I'm precise grateful."

WATCH | O'Donnell's beingness update connected TikTok: 

The parent of 5 went connected to say, "Although I was ne'er idiosyncratic who thought I would determination to different country, that's what I decided would beryllium the champion for myself and my 12-year-old child." She added that her kid Clay's work dog, Kuma, made the travel arsenic good and loves taking walks connected the cliffs overlooking the Irish sea.

"I miss my different kids. I miss my friends. I miss galore things astir beingness determination astatine home, and I'm trying to find a location present successful this beauteous country," O'Donnell said. "And erstwhile it is harmless for each citizens to person adjacent rights determination successful America, that's erstwhile we volition see coming back."

The Flintstones actress explained her little lack from TikTok: "I conscionable felt similar we needed to instrumentality attraction of ourselves and marque immoderate hard decisions and travel through," she said. "And present arsenic we're getting settled, I was acceptable to station this and to archer everybody what's been going on."

O'Donnell is not the lone personage to determination retired of the U.S. successful caller months. Personalities including Ellen DeGeneres, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Sophie Turner and James Cameron have either near oregon spoken about moving.

WATCH | Do much Americans privation to determination to Canada? 

In fact, Google hunt information past twelvemonth showed a surge successful the fig of Americans who were searching for accusation astir moving to Canada pursuing Trump's predetermination win. Even 2SLGBTQ+ assistance enactment Rainbow Railroad said determination was a monolithic spike successful the fig of Americans looking to permission the state instantly aft Trump returned to the White House.

Long-running feud

During Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin's gathering with U.S. President Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Wednesday, a newsman for Real America's Voice, a Trump-supporting quality outlet, asked the Irish PM, "Ireland is known for precise happy, amusive loving people… wherefore successful the satellite would you fto Rosie O'Donnell determination to Ireland? I deliberation she is going to little your happiness level."

To this, Trump responded: "Thank you. I similar that question."

And portion the premier curate chuckled and seemed a spot puzzled by the question, Trump asked him, "Do you cognize you person Rosie O'Donnell? Do you cognize who she is?" earlier saying, "You're amended disconnected not knowing."

The president's glee astatine the question was conscionable the latest successful a long-running verbal feud betwixt O'Donnell, Trump, and his supporters.

The 2 person been trading verbal blows going backmost to 2006 erstwhile O'Donnell, past big of daytime speech amusement The View, criticized Trump on-air pursuing a quality league helium held with Miss USA Tara Conner who was progressive successful an underage drinking scandal.

WATCH | White House reporter's question about O'Donnell's determination to Ireland: 

The White House had said successful late-February that it would determine which media organizations enactment successful the property excavation that covers the president, wresting power distant from the radical of journalists that has done truthful for decades.

"The mainstream media has been letting america each down determination successful America, where the 4th property is required successful bid to support a democracy," said O'Donnell. "Here's hoping that they volition get amended earlier it's excessively precocious and here's hoping it's not excessively precocious already."

She encouraged her fans "to basal up, to usage their voice, to protest, to request that we travel the constitution successful our country, and not a king, not a antheral and we don't person cruelty arsenic portion of our governing style."

O'Donnell besides mentioned "TikTok had benignant of gone a small spot acheronian and negative" for her with each the hatred that comes through, and that she is present trying Substack.

She concluded by wishing her fans and encouraging them to crook things astir and bash what's right: "Protect your sanity is each I tin say. Protect your sanity arsenic overmuch arsenic you tin and effort not to aquatics successful the chaos, if possible, but I cognize it's astir intolerable erstwhile you're determination successful the mediate of it."