Speaking to People, the comedian reflected on how losing nearly 60 pounds reshaped not only her health but also the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery after years of weighing the idea.
Rosie O’Donnell Says Weight Loss Led to a Difficult Decision About Cosmetic Surgery
Rosie O’Donnell has been candid about the changes she’s experienced over the past few years, from improving her health to embracing a new chapter onstage. While discussing the impact of her weight loss, the comedian admitted that everyday moments now feel different, saying, “It’s very strange to just buy a pair of jeans that fit.” She also revealed that concerns about her appearance often overshadowed her work during her television career. “When I would do late-night, my biggest concern wasn’t my set, it was, did I look fat?” she recalled.
Looking back on earlier projects, O’Donnell remembered the pressure she faced over her size while filming “A League of Their Own.” She shared that director Penny Marshall once told her, “Rosie, I want you to lose 20 lbs.,” prompting the comedian to fire back, “You think I carry it around for fun, Penny?” Reflecting on that period now, O’Donnell admitted, “God, I wish I could have enjoyed the size I was.” She added that she has returned to a similar weight today but now feels “much healthier, more powerful in my own physicality.”
The physical transformation eventually influenced another major personal decision. After losing nearly 60 pounds, O’Donnell said she was left with excess skin around her chin that changed how people perceived her. “People in Ireland said, ‘Rosie, are you all right, love?'” she explained. “I’m like, ‘It’s my face. I actually feel happy here.'” She acknowledged that she initially struggled with the idea of cosmetic surgery because “as a feminist I always felt this is the male gaze and not anything I believe in.”
One conversation with her child made the choice even more complicated. O’Donnell revealed that Clay asked, “Mommy, girls look up to you. What does your legacy stand for if you do this?” She said the question led her to rethink the procedure for six months before ultimately deciding that “the real power of feminism” is being able “to decide what we want to do with our bodies and when.”
O’Donnell also chose not to keep the surgery private after people began commenting on her appearance. “I didn’t make it public until everyone started saying, ‘You look so much better. What are you doing?'” she said. Rather than claiming nothing had changed, she decided to be upfront about the procedure, joking, “So why do I look like this? $90,000.”
The comedian is now performing her one-woman show at New York City’s Daryl Roth Theatre after spending much of the past year in Ireland, while also planning a move to New Jersey to be closer to her children and new grandchild.