Rosie O’Donnell Takes Aim at Ellen DeGeneres With New Comedy Special Amid Longtime Feud

Celebrity Gossips
Alexis N. Crockett
February 10, 2025
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8 minutes read

(Emma McIntyre/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rosie O’Donnell is gearing up for a major return to stand-up comedy, and according to insiders, she’s setting her sights on longtime rival Ellen DeGeneres. A source revealed that O’Donnell, 62, has “fully written and test-performed” a new comedy special, which she plans to film in the coming months.

Unlike DeGeneres’ recent special, For Your Approval, which received a lukewarm response, O’Donnell’s material is reportedly sharp, engaging, and free of bitterness. “Rosie has fully written and test-performed a new hour-long stand-up set, and she’s going to put it to film in the coming months,” an insider told In Touch Weekly. “I guess the headline is that it’s a lot like Ellen’s special, except it’s funny!”

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DeGeneres, once considered the “Queen of Daytime TV,” attempted a career revival with her Netflix special following the 2022 cancellation of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which ended amid allegations of a toxic workplace environment. However, her return did not receive the reaction she had hoped for.

The insider claims O’Donnell will receive a much warmer reception. “Rosie still has swagger and real comedy chops,” the source said. “Thankfully, in her new material, she doesn’t come across as bitter or defensive. She’s just trying to make people laugh, and she’s doing it by being herself.”

Ellen DeGeneres — PHOTO: RANDY HOLMES VIA GETTY

Although O’Donnell has not yet secured a streaming deal for the special, the source believes it’s only a matter of time. “Her voice is needed in stand-up, and unlike Ellen, she’s going to get a warm welcome from fans,” the insider added.

The rivalry between O’Donnell and DeGeneres has spanned decades. In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O’Donnell revealed that they were once friends before their relationship soured.

“It was a good relationship. We were friends. We supported each other,” she recalled. “She came out first on my show [The Rosie O’Donnell Show], remember? She came on, and my show was live.” However, things changed in 2004 when DeGeneres appeared on Larry King Live and dismissed their friendship.

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“Larry King said, ‘Whatever happened to Rosie O’Donnell’s show? She went down the tubes as soon as she came out.’ And Ellen said, ‘I don’t know Rosie. We’re not friends,’” O’Donnell recalled, per BuzzFeed.

Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell — Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell attend the 33rd annual Daytime Emmy ceremony at Kodak Theater on April 28, 2006 (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

O’Donnell admitted the comment deeply hurt her. “It would never occur to me to say, ‘I don’t know her,’ about somebody whose babies I held when they were born,” she said. Although DeGeneres reached out via text in 2023 to apologize, claiming she didn’t remember making the remark, O’Donnell remains skeptical.

“I guess she saw me talk about it on Andy Cohen’s show,” O’Donnell mused. “I remembered it so well, I had T-shirts printed and I gave them to my staff that said, ‘I don’t know Rosie. We’re not friends.’” While the tension between them may never fully resolve, O’Donnell is forging ahead with her stand-up return, and fans are ready to welcome her back.