Rosie O’Donnell shared a long poem after visiting her troubled daughter Chelsea O’Donnell in prison.
In an Instagram upload shared on Saturday, the A League of Their Own star posed with Chelsea for a loving snapshot.
In her poem, Ms. O’Donnell, 64, recalls arriving early for a visit and discovering “a place that looked like / A child’s room / A Disney mural painted on a cement wall / A vending machine.” O’Donnell said he was then “asked to sit” in a red chair at table eight.
“The security guard explained the rules,” O’Donnell continued, “just a hug and goodbye/
No money is exchanged/No hands are on the table/No loud voices are made. ”
When Chelsea arrived wearing a green prison uniform, her heart “thumped,” the former talk show host recalled. In her poem, she described her daughter as “vivacious” and “healthily calm” with “restful blue eyes” and “clear skin.”
“We have been through so much,” O’Donnell wrote, lamenting that Chelsea’s four children — “three girls and one boy” — “have not visited” her in prison.
The comedienne recalled crying during the visit. “It’s hard enough for her/She turns 29 this summer/And when I look at her all I see/is a blonde baby in diapers,” she added.
“The View” alum later recalled that her visit was interrupted by a tornado, and that she returned to her hotel during the storm and slept “for hours.”
“I’m so proud of both of us,” she concluded her 28-year-old daughter’s poem. “Unconditional love / Simply the only way / Through motherhood / Love and forgiveness are essential / Even when it seems impossible / Especially then / We learn to live and grow / Even at 64.”
Followers in the comment thread expressed their support for Rosie and Chelsea, with one person writing: “What a beautiful piece of work. I feel like I can picture it perfectly. Everyone in that room is someone’s baby. I’m so proud of you and Chelsea. 🫶🏻🫶🏻.”
Another simply added: “I’m with you 💜,” while a third chimed in: “Thinking of you. You’re helping so many people ❤️.”
Rosie also detailed the visit her daughter requested in a Substack post titled “Before and After” on Friday.
In February 2025, Chelsea appeared in court on felony charges of bail jumping, resisting or obstructing a police officer, possession of methamphetamine and child neglect.
She was then sentenced to six years’ probation and warned of jail time if she violated any of the requirements of her probation, including possession of a controlled substance.
Her probation was revoked and she was sentenced to prison in October.
TMZ reported in February that a report from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections revealed that Chelsea had been charged with assault for allegedly touching a man’s genitals without his permission. According to the outlet, Chelsea denied the claims to authorities.
The report includes the alleged contact and explains why her probation was revoked.
Chelsea and Rosie’s loving visits highlight their troubled relationship in the past – in January 2025, Chelsea filed paperwork asking for her name to be changed to her mother Deanna Micoley’s maiden name.
The move comes after Rosie, who moved to Ireland from the US last year, reportedly had her daughter’s $80 million will cut out due to ongoing legal issues.
