​Rosie O’Donnell has made a significant life change by relocating to Ireland with her 12-year-old daughter, Dakota.

The move, which took place on January 15, 2025, just days before Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term as U.S. President, was confirmed by O’Donnell in a recent TikTok video.

In her heartfelt message, O’Donnell expressed her appreciation for the warm reception she has received in her new home. “It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say,” she remarked. “The people are so loving and so kind and so welcoming. And I’m very grateful.”

Rosie O’Donnell and her 12-year-old daughter, Dakota. Credit: Rosie O’Donnell / Instagram

The decision to move was influenced by both personal and political factors. O’Donnell, who has had a long-standing public feud with Trump, indicated that the current political climate in the United States played a role in her relocation.

“It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well,” she shared.

Embracing her Irish heritage, O’Donnell is in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship, as her grandparents hailed from Ireland.

Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty

She reflected on the unexpected nature of her move, stating, “I was never someone who thought I would move to another country. That’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are.”

While she and Dakota are adjusting well to their new surroundings, O’Donnell admitted to missing her other children and friends back in the United States.

She has four other children: Parker, 29; Chelsea, 27; Blake, 24; and Vivienne, 22. Despite this, she emphasized that her return to the U.S. is contingent upon significant societal changes.

Rosie O’Donnell and her children. Credit: Rosie O’Donnell / Instagram

“When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” she asserted.

O’Donnell’s relocation is part of a broader trend among celebrities who have chosen to move abroad following Trump’s election. Notably, Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have reportedly moved from California to the English countryside for similar reasons. ​

In her concluding remarks on TikTok, O’Donnell encouraged her followers to remain vigilant and proactive.

Credit: Olivia Wong / Getty

She urged everyone to “stand up to use their voice to protest, to demand that we follow the constitution in our country, and not a king, and not a man and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style.”

As O’Donnell and her daughter embark on this new chapter in Ireland, they continue to receive an outpouring of support from fans worldwide, many of whom admire her courage and commitment to her principles.