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Rosie O'Donnell's relationship with her daughter Chelsea O'Donnell appears to be getting stronger.
"She's sober, and that's changed everything," Rosie, 64, shared with People in an interview published on Tuesday, July 21. "She ran away at 17 to her birth mother and to a very drug-addled community in Wisconsin. I recently visited her in prison, which was overwhelmingly emotional."
In October 2025, Chelsea, 28, was sentenced to serve prison time after allegedly violating the terms of her six-year probation stemming from three back-to-back drug-related arrests.
"I saw the kid that I used to know," Rosie - who adopted Chelsea as a baby with ex-wife Kelli Carpenter - shared about her recent visit. "She calls every day, and we talk."
Rosie O'Donnell Writes Poem Detailing Visit With Daughter Chelsea in Prison
Earlier this month, the comedian shared additional details about her visit to prison. (Chelsea is currently incarcerated at Taycheedah Correctional Institution, a women's maximum-security prison located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.)
"[The visit] was the first conversation I've had with her in 10 years that lasted more than 15 minutes," Rosie told Page Six earlier this month. "The first time that I saw her in a consistent way was the four hours in the prison."
She added, "I hope that her future is brighter than this past decade has been."
While Rosie's relationship with Chelsea hasn't always been the strongest as her daughter struggled with addiction, the former talk show host made it clear that she never lost hope that things could get better.
"I have compassion for those struggling with addiction," Rosie previously told Us when reacting to her daughter's incarceration. "Chelsea was born into addiction and it has been a painful journey for her and her children. We continue to love and support her through these horrible times. Prayers welcomed."
Rosie O'Donnell and Daughter Chelsea O'Donnell's Relationship Ups and Downs
In her latest interview, Rosie also shared an update on her son Clayton, who she adopted with late ex-wife Michelle Rounds in 2013. (Rounds died in September 2017 at the age of 46.)
After sharing Clay's autism diagnosis for the first time in September 2022, Rosie continues to be amazed at her child's special gifts.
"Clay's vulnerability has forced me to be more connected and attached and for us to be close in a way that I hadn't been with my other kids," she shared. "Autism is so miraculously curious. Clay understands very big concepts for a kid who's only 13."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
