Rosie O’Donnell Shares Photo, Thoughts After Visiting Daughter Chelsea, 28, in Prison

Chelsea O'Donnell was sentenced to jail in October after she was arrested three times in 2024

NEED TO KNOW

• Rosie O’Donnell shared a heartfelt poem about visiting her daughter Chelsea O’Donnell in prison
• The comedian reflected on “unconditional love,” motherhood, Chelsea’s sobriety, the duo’s tumultuous relationship and more in the emotional writing
• Chelsea, 28, is serving prison time after her probation was revoked in October following multiple arrests in 2024

Rosie O'Donnell is reflecting after a visit to see her daughter Chelsea O'Donnell in prison.

The 64-year-old actress' daughter had her probation revoked and was sentenced to jail in October after she was arrested three times in 2024, starting with a September arrest on multiple felony charges, including neglecting a child and possession of methamphetamine.

Rosie recently visited Chelsea in prison — which she said the 28-year-old requested — and she reflected on the experience through poetry she shared alongside a mother-daughter selfie on Instagram (and via Substack) on Friday, June 12. The photo, seemingly taken during the visit, shows Chelsea smiling as she wrapped her arms around her mother.

In a poem about the visit, Rosie said her heart skipped “a beat” the moment Chelsea walked through the door in the visitation room. “She looks good,” the actress wrote. “Healthy calm / Rested blue eyes / Clear skin / In her green uniform.”

The pair embraced, according to Rosie. She added that she held “on tight” to her daughter and stared “into her eyes.”

“We have been thru so much,” the A League of Their Own actress continued in the poem.

Reflecting on her daughter's own children, Rosie said Chelsea's four kids “have not visited” their mom in prison, “which pains her I know.”

The comedian then wrote that she tried “to stay present” during the prison visit. “I try to shake the sadness,” she said.

Of her daughter, Rosie wrote, “It's hard enough for her / She turns 29 this summer / And all I see when I look at her / Is a blonde baby in diapers.”

The prison visit was “cut short” due to weather conditions, Rosie said in the poem. She noted that after a “quick hug,” she was back outside in her car.

“It storms all the way to the hotel / As I try to process / All that's happened,” the actress wrote. “It was a big day for both of us.”

Rosie — who is a mom to five children total, four with her ex-wife, Kelli Carpenter, and her fifth with late ex-wife Michelle Rounds — said she slept “for hours” after the emotional visit, for which she was “proud of us both.”

“Unconditional love / Simply the only way / Thru motherhood,” she added. “Love and forgiveness a must / Even when it seems impossible / Especially then / We live we learn we grow / Even at 64.”

Rosie also shared some of her thoughts from “before” the visit on Substack. “She's not fighting it anymore / This relationship we have / Her sobriety helps so much / Gives me hope,” she wrote of Chelsea.

In a later stanza, Rosie added of her child, “I told her I may cry when I see her / There in prison clothes." She said her daughter responded, “Why mom — it's not bad in here — I have friends now.”

Chelsea calls Rosie from prison “daily,” she said. Rosie added that the mother-daughter pair have “gotten closer / Thru these tense times / And I'm grateful for that.”

“That she's alive,” she continued in the poem. “Looking forward to her release / Planning her post-prison / journey / Drug free / Getting back with her children / Making amends / Dreaming of peace / For the first time / As am I.”

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Chelsea appeared in court for sentencing on the three felony counts she pleaded guilty to in February: resisting or obstructing an officer, felony bail jumping and possession of methamphetamine.

In March, she was sentenced to six years probation — a two-year sentence for each of the three guilty counts. Chelsea was told she could face prison time should she violate any of the probation requirements, which included absolute sobriety, no possession of alcohol or another controlled substance without a valid prescription, no contact with any known drug users or sellers and no possession or ownership of any firearm.

Her probation was revoked, and she was sentenced to prison time on Oct. 22, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE at the time, Rosie said, "I have compassion for those struggling with addiction – Chelsea was born into addiction and it has been a painful journey for her and her four young children. We continue to love and support her through these horrible times. Prayers welcomed."

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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