Rosie O'Donnell On How Her Child Came Out As Nonbinary
Rosie O'Donnell opened up for the first time about her child coming out as nonbinary.
In a conversation with Variety about her role as a Mary in the third season of And Just Like That..., Rosie discussed when her child, Clay, 12, disclosed their gender identity to her. Rosie described it as "the most interesting thing."
"I have a little one who is nonbinary — 12 years old — and it was the most interesting thing," the actor and comedian said. "They said to me, 'Mommy, I'm nonbinary. I'm not a boy and I'm not a girl.' I said, 'Okay, fantastic.'"
"They go, 'My pronouns are they/them, and I'd like them respected.' I will do my very best, right? Who are they, Harvey Milk reincarnated?" Rosie added.
If you didn't know, Rosie is a parent to five children: Clay, Vivieene, 22, Blake, 25, Chelsea, 27, and Parker, 30.
In a March 20 TikTok, Rosie confirmed that she's officially living in Ireland and is "proud and impressed" with her child Clay's adjustment to the big change. "It's not easy to move to another country, and we really felt as a family this was the safest and best thing for us to do."
Talking with Variety, Rosie also said the conversation led to her child asking if she was nonbinary. "I said, 'Well, you know what, honey, I'm an O.G. lesbian. I'm a girl who knew I was a girl, who liked being a girl, but didn't feel like a real girl. But I never wanted to be a boy. I never thought about boys. I was only always thinking about girls.' And then they said, "What did your class say when you told them?"
Rosie then explained that the expression of sexuality and gender was very different when she was a kid in the 70s. "Can you imagine? They have no understanding of what it was like when I was 10 in 1972 and nobody mentioned it. The word was not said — you would never admit it."
"You'd go to church and hear horrible things about people like you, and Billie Jean [King] and Martina [Navratilova] had to disclaim their lesbianism and pretend they were not gay in order to continue working on the tennis circuit, and that was so painful for me when I was a 10-year-old. They didn't understand. I've been trying to explain to them what it was like when I was a kid, and they are stunned."
As a millennial who is queer and nonbinary, it's important to note that the reason it's much different for younger generations like Clay and myself can be attributed to people like Rosie.
I grew up watching Rosie in A League of Their Own, The Flintstones, Wide Awake, Harriet the Spy (my favorite), and her talk shows. When she publicly came out, it was the first time I saw someone accepting who they truly are despite opposition. It provided me with a blueprint to begin my journey of self-discovery years ago, and these journeys continue for the younger generations, thanks to folks like Rosie.
"It was really a strange time to be out of the closet to everyone in show business who knew me personally — and in my life, everyone knew and I had children. Once you have children, you're out! Because you go with your partner to the school meetings," Rosie told the publication.
"I was out to everyone except the public. And I often thought it was surprising that when I did come out, people were surprised. 'Well, you like Tom Cruise.' I didn't want him naked in my bed! I wanted him to mow my lawn and give me a lemonade. How many times do I have to say that?"
Oh, Rosie. You did it for me again. Some of us really need to see and hear these conversations. 😂 Thank you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kim Cattrall Turned Down ‘Sex And The City' Role 4 Times Due To 'Self-Inflicted Ageism'
It might seem impossible to imagine anyone other than Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones, but the now iconic character initially took her some convincing. The Golden Globe winner recently revealed that she turned down the part in HBO's Sex and the City four times before signing on due to 'self-inflicted ageism' over being 41 in such a sexually confident role. More from Deadline Kim Cattrall Kindly Shuts Down 'And Just Like That' Season 3 Return Rumors 'And Just Like That …' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far Sarah Jessica Parker Asks Why Fans "Judge Women" Characters For Mistakes But "Not Men" 'Well, that changed — 40 became sexy. It became, 'Man, let's have more of that,' she explained to The Times of what persuaded her. 'She wasn't a nymphomaniac — well, some people might have thought she was — but she was just enjoying the main course. Everyone else was nibbling on the appetisers when she was going for the steak. And it was always on her terms — that I always insisted on,' added Cattrall. 'But I'm the antithesis of her [Samantha] in many ways. I'm a serial monogamist, and then some.' Cattrall said of the beloved role, 'I created a fantastic character that I loved, and I put a lot of love in it. And if I'm remembered only for that, then that's really OK.' Based on Candace Bushnell's New York Observer column, Sex and the City ran for six seasons on HBO from 1998 to 2004, followed by two theatrically-released feature films in 2008 and 2010, as well as the CW prequel series The Carrie Diaries (2013-'14). The sequel series And Just Like That… debuted on HBO Max in 2021, kicking off its third season on May 29. After opening up about her behind-the-scenes differences with co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, Cattrall opted not to reunite with Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis in And Just Like That…, but she still graced fans with a brief Samantha appearance in the Season 2 finale after Deadline reported the cameo back in 2023. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Variety.com Ranks as Top Entertainment Business News Site for Three Years in a Row
has ranked as the top entertainment business news site for 36 consecutive months. The online home of the weekly entertainment business magazine Variety has claimed the No. 1 spot every month so far this year through May. The website has held the top position since June 2022. More from Variety Variety's 'Actors on Actors' Season 22 Breaks Emmys Season Franchise Record With Nearly 100 Million Social Video Views Paul Mescal, Diane Kruger and More Toast to Rising Talent at Variety and Golden Globes' Cannes Breakthrough Artist Party Variety Wins Four 2025 Webby Awards, Including for Social Presence and Actors on Actors Series Variety reached a larger digital audience than consumer news publications Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly for the past three years, according to unique visitor data from Comscore. Variety's 2025 traffic to date has also surpassed all other trade news sites, making it the most-read publication in its category. 'This is a tremendous winning streak,' said Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, Variety's co-Editors-in-Chief. 'We are so proud of our newsroom for producing the best journalism — a wide range of stories that includes breaking news, industry scoops, longform profiles, criticism and franchises such as Power of Women and Actors on Actors. With our award-winning print magazine, aggressive social media strategy and hit video series, Variety has become the largest multi-platform publication of its kind.' Variety's 2025 coverage has featured blockbuster stories, including Noah Wyle's return to medical dramas with 'The Pitt'; Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood addressing 'White Lotus' feud rumors; a father-son interview with Arnold and Patrick Schwarzenegger as part of Variety's 'Actors on Actors'; and a conversation between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton about teaming up for 'F1 the Movie,' starring Brad Pitt. Variety also landed groundbreaking numbers for the 22nd season of Variety's 'Actors on Actors' series across its social media channels. The latest season of 'Actors on Actors' — featuring Parker Posey, Kathryn Hahn, Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried, Diego Luna, Dave Chapelle, the Schwarzeneggers and more 2025 Emmy contenders — generated over 40.9 million views on TikTok. On YouTube, Season 22 has racked up more than 2.8 million views. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Karol G Is ‘Willing to Fight' for Her Genre-Spanning ‘Tropicoqueta' Album: ‘Latinas Are Everything — Why Can't We Just Be Everything?'
Karol G was in Europe completing her 'Mañana Será Bonito' stadium jaunt across the world when she got the idea for what could follow her 2023 album of the same name. The stakes were high: 'Mañana' had unlocked a new level of global stardom for the reggaeton artist, making her the first woman to win a Grammy award for best música urbana album. The tour was equally successful, raking in over $300 million from 62 shows between August 2023 and July 2024 as the highest-grossing run for a Latin female artist. More from Variety Karol G Reveals New 'Tropicoqueta' Album Release Date and Details: 'Sounds Like a Little Piece of Us All' Karol G Samples Alexa Demie and Beats the Heat in New 'Latina Foreva' Single and Video Karol G Shares Emotional Trailer for New 'Tomorrow Was Beautiful' Netflix Doc With her fifth studio album, 'Tropicoqueta,' Karol set out to capture the emotions and empowerment she felt on stage. She recorded it while traveling to perform in stadiums for a diasporic population of Latinos that ranged in demographics, stretching from Switzerland to Venezuela. 'We could be in Berlin, and people would come with Ecuadorian flags,' Karol tells Variety. 'Flags from countries across the whole world, who all have their own unique musical flavors, and it felt good that they saw themselves represented by me. That inspired me to visualize all parts of this album, built on different sounds from all over Latin America. It was a challenge because we had so many different genres involved, and I knew we had to get them all right.' Determined to execute her vision, she started this album differently than she has others — filling an entire notebook's worth of distinct details (one note reads '90% live instrumentals') and ideas for what would become 'Tropicoqueta,' everything from emotions and song titles to musical inspirations (La India, Rocío Dúrcal, Myriam Hernández) and the 'dream collaborators and producers' needed to create the palette she had in mind. Featured on the album are Manu Chao, Marco Antonio Solís, Eddy Lover, Greeicy and Mariah Angeliq. Karol's boyfriend and Grammy-nominated reggaeton artist Feid is an unlisted contributor on hidden track 'Canción 13,' or 'Verano Rosa' as it appears on her YouTube channel. The album also has instrumentals and production from such acclaimed artists as including Edgar Barrera, Leo RD, Tainy and Pharrell Williams, the latter on the anthemic 'Ivonny Bonita.' 'All of the producers on this album were called in with intention,' she adds. 'On 'Ivonny,' I really wanted Pharrell to put his touch on a song, but also have it sound like me. When Pharrell did his instrumental, Edgar and I added more of a Latin touch to it.' That was the addition of an exhilarating conga pattern, and piano keys and a trumpet section played by Arturo Sandoval. Her fifth overall and longest album yet, totaling one hour and 20 minutes and 20 songs, is an homage to Latin identity through music. It ranges from a vibrant Colombian vallenato to a Mexican ranchera, bachata, merengue, pop, cumbia and her usual hard-hitting reggaeton. Karol also sings in English for the first time in her records on the pop song 'Papasito,' which started in Spanish, and was changed to English as a better fit to the story of the song. 'I did the translation myself because I wanted it to sound true to how I speak English,' she says. 'The story is about me seeing this guy at a party and just instantly feeling attracted to him… and maybe the guy is American, so I'm speaking my best English to get him to fall in love with me.' There's also the cinematic 'Ese Hombre Mio,' which Karol recorded in Guadalajara, and recruited a former collaborator of the late Juan Gabriel to arrange the 57 different instruments heard throughout. 'I don't know what is going to happen with this album,' Karol says. 'But no matter how its recieved, I'm going to fight for it because I am super in love with it. Every week I find a new favorite.' The record was preceded by two singles, 'Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,' a massive radio hit in 2024, and 'Latina Foreva,' an ode to Latin women. The track is built on reggaeton beats and a sample of 'Oye Mi Canto,' and its pre-chorus makes a beat of the words 'tits and ass.' The internet criticized the song as a failed attempt to empower women by sexualizing them, a claim Karol had already received in the last year when she and five top male artists in reggaeton — ranging from Feid to J Balvin, Maluma and more — released the song '+57,' and were accused of sexualizing young girls with the lyric 'a baddie since she was 14.' Karol issued an apology and the age in the lyric was changed to 18. 'I feel like the bigger the project gets, the harder the people get with me,' she says. 'I think there are different opinions on how I should and shouldn't be acting at this point in my career and it gets so confusing sometimes that it becomes hard to handle.' On the criticism of 'Latina Foreva,' she says, 'It's difficult, because the video is incredible but I knew having us in bikinis with me singing about about tits and ass… I just knew it was going to be a talking point. But the way I see it, I am just singing of my realities. I don't want to change myself to have to please anyone, either. I have emotional songs on this record that are soul-touching, and then I have my fun and sometimes raunchy songs — Latinas are everything. Why can't we just be everything?' Before the release of her album, Karol released a documentary on Netflix that captured the highs of her stadium trek. One of those moments was the day 'Mañana Será Bonito' hit No. 1 on the albums chart in the United States. In the scene, Karol's father calls her and congratulates her before telling her to be wary of her expectations, reminding her that after every peak, there's usually a fall. She's realistic about whatever is coming next. 'Not everyone will enjoy this album the same,' she says. 'There's a lot going on and these sounds and styles mean different things to different people, but I couldn't be prouder of how it's come together. It's exactly what I pictured when I started writing in that notebook. 'I know there's more people watching me, and because of that, I know not everyone is going to like me,' she concludes. 'I have to really follow my heart, and that's what you'll find in this record.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
