Rosie O’Donnell Details Her Surprising Relationship with Lyle Menendez — Including Why She Felt ‘Love’ for Him

“For the first time in my life, I felt safe enough to trust and be vulnerable and love a straight man,” O’Donnell said of Menendez
Lyle Menendez.He and his brother Erik Menendez were convicted of first-degree murdєr for the 1989 fatal shooting of their parents. During their trial, the brothers alleged that they were sєxually abused by their father.

O’Donnell told The New York Times in an interview published on April 12 that she received a letter from Menendez thanking her for offering her support. She said that he added he felt the former talk show host personally “knew” that his defense was true. (Years later, in 2019, O’Donnell would reveal that she was sєxually abused by her father as a child.)

Rosie O’Donnell attends ELLE’s 2024 Women in Hollywood celebration at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on Nov. 19, 2024 in Los Angeles.Stefanie Keenan/Getty
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“At that point, I had not ventured anywhere near this in my family or in my therapy,” she told the Times, adding that she did not respond to Menendez’s letter.

However, O’Donnell continued to advocate for the Menendez brothers, and she even discussed their controversial case on TikTok after watching a 2022 documentary. Menendez’s then-wife, Rebecca Sneed, eventually reached out and asked if she wanted to be connected with him.

The former View co-host’s first conversation with Menendez lasted multiple hours, she told the Times. 

“Then he started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have,” O’Donnell said. “He would tell me about his life, what he’s been doing in prison, and, for the first time in my life, I felt safe enough to trust and be vulnerable and love a straight man.”

Lyle Menendez walks through the yard at Donovan Correctional Facility on March 15, 2018.K C Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune via ZUMA/Shutterstock
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O’Donnell proceeded to stay in touch with Menendez and visited him in prison.

Following a 1993 mistrial, the Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. They’ve since fought to be released from prison, insisting that they murdєred their parents out of fear for their lives.

In March, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he would not recommend resentencing for the Menendez brothers because he felt that they had not accepted responsibility for their actions.

Recently, O’Donnell has moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old child Clay, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. She confirmed her move last month and explained that Donald Trump’s presidency played a significant role in her decision.

“You know, I’m happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country,” the actress said in a TikTok video. “When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”