Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Rosie O'Donnell© Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O’Donnell debuts mystery person on Instagram while vacationing in Spokane

The iconic actress has been married twice


Jovita Trujillo
Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
MAY 23, 2022 10:17 PM EDT

Rosie O’Donnell has a tatted-up new friend to travel with. On Sunday, the actress seemingly debuted her new partner on Instagram, but only their wrist, arm, and leg. In the photo, O’Donnell has her hand on the person’s colorful thigh. The picture looks to be taken from the mystery person, who is gently holding O’Donnell’s hand. “how’s ur weekend? #spokane,“ O’Donnell captioned the post.

Rosie O’Donnell© Rosie O’Donnell

O’Donnells fans and friends were excited to see the pair, like TV host Ross Matthews, who shared multiple red hearts. Rosie’s friend Wendy Perkins wrote, “Bliss. [hope] you’ve had a great weekend with you know who.” Perkins isn’t going to give up who the mystery person is though, as she replied to a nosey commenter, “I’ll never tell,” with a winky face.

One fan thought the tattoos were the comedian’s and wrote. “Good thanks for asking love your tattoos. Have a great Sunday.” O’Donnell clarified in the comments, replying, “[they’re] not my tattoos.”

A Family Is A Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration Special HBO Screening© GettyImages
Rosie O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter with their children

The comedian has been married twice and has been a strong advocate for the LGTBQ+ community. She was briefly married to her first wife, Kelli Carpenter, from 2004 to 2007, and they adopted three kids together: Parker, Chelsea, and Blake. They also tried to adopt a baby named Mia, who would have been their fourth child but were forced to give up custody because they were a same-sex couple in Florida, where it was banned until 2010. Carpenter then welcomed their daughter Vivienne into the world through artificial insemination.

O’Donnell then married the late Michelle Rounds in 2012 and they adopted daughter Dakota before they split in 2015.

"The Real Thing" Broadway Opening Night© GettyImages

O’Donnell came out publicly in 2002 during a show at Caroline’s Comedy Club in New York, per Huffington Post. However, O’Donnell told Marlo Thomas years later she tried to come out during an interview with Cosmopolitan in 1992. “At that time, nobody printed it,” she said.

“I remember [Editor-in-Chief] Helen Gurley Brown took it out of an interview that [a reporter] had done with me in, like, 1992. He said, ‘Are you gay?’ and I said, ‘Yes.’ She took it out,” she told the host. “She was protecting me because at that time it would’ve been a huge issue, right? So, I think it’s changed a lot. I think it’s much more common and people are much more used to it. Being a part of a gay family was not nearly as troubling to my kids as being part of a famous family,” the comedian continued.