Rosie O’Donnell Opens Up About Daughter’s Overdose

There’s no denying Rosie O’Donnell and her daughter Chelsea have had a long, troubled history and, even now, it seems the mother-daughter pair are facing more obstacles brought about by Chelsea’s alleged drug use. A recent overdose resulted in hospitalization for O’Donnell’s daughter with doctors ordering a psychiatric evaluation, but sources say Rosie’s daughter is doing well and is in capable hands at the hospital. While it’s still too early to know when 19-year-old Chelsea O’Donnell might be released from hospital care, it seems as though she’s out of immediate danger.

Rosie O’Donnell Continues To Support Chelsea Through Her Difficult Times

While Chelsea O’Donnell is currently under evaluation in a Long Island hospital, E! News reports that Rosie’s teen daughter is “alert and awake” and “is safe.” The determination to evaluate Chelsea is a part of a state-wide program, which seeks to identify patients with psychiatric needs in emergency situations. The program also offers services, based on those initial evaluations and the needs of the individual patient, such as rehabilitation services, counseling, and medical professional referrals.

Although Rosie and Chelsea have had a strained relationship resulting in a brief period of estrangement, the O’Donnell mother and daughter have recently grown closer. It seemed Chelsea was well on her way to a more well-adjusted life with Rosie prior to this new incident. Last week, Rosie shared a selfie of herself and Chelsea, as the teenager celebrated this year’s birthday.

“happy birthday chelsea belle!!! 19 today #believe,” Rosie O’Donnell captioned the Instagram post.

While representatives for Rosie haven’t yet commented on the situation, Ms. O’Donnell’s past devotion to her daughter suggests that the mother of five will still be standing by Chelsea’s side.

A Look Back At Chelsea O’Donnell’s Troubled Past

While this year seems to hold promise for Rosie O’Donnell’s relationship with her adopted daughter, People magazine shares a look back that proves a year can indeed make a big difference. Last summer, Chelsea had taken off, running away from home and leaving Rosie frantically searching for her and begging the public for help.

“Chelsea stopped taking her medicine and is in need of medical attention,” Ms. O’Donnell posted to her website at the time. “Any information please contact authorities.”

Chelsea had been missing for a large portion of the day before authorities found her living with a 25-year-old alleged heroin addict and boyfriend to Chelsea.

Soon afterward, Chelsea made another decision that would break Rosie’s heart, when she chose to go live with her birth mother, Deanna Micoley. Chelsea was given up for adoption as a baby in 1997. Rosie issued a second statement, following this event, stating that Chelsea was an 18-year-old adult and free to make her own choice.

While Rosie has allowed her children to make their own decisions and made herself clear that she would always support and love them, she took an opportunity to vent, during a stand-up routine late last year.

“My teenagers are a nightmare, they’re horrible,” Ms. O’Donnell said. “I had four teenagers when I decided to adopt a newborn baby. You might ask why. Because I had four teenagers and I needed to remind myself that I actually do love children.”

“Because I would trade each teen for autistic triplets, I am just saying I would,” O’Donnell explained, as the audience laughed.

Since that time, the emotional wounds have healed for both Rosie and Chelsea, enabling them to reconnect as mother and daughter. While Ms. O’Donnell is certainly concerned for her daughter’s welfare, throughout this most recent evaluation, Rosie’s social media posts reveal that the two have bonded and may be closer than ever.

[Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images]