Rosie O’Donnell Family Guide: Meet Her 5 Children
What To Know
- Rosie O’Donnell is the mother of five children — Parker, Chelsea, Blake, Vivienne, and Clay.
- They were adopted with O’Donnell’s ex-wives, Kelli Carpenter and the late Michelle Rounds.
- Daughter Chelsea has had struggles with addiction and legal issues.
Rosie O’Donnell is hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the week of August 17. The comedian recently wrapped her one-woman show, Common Knowledge, which ran at the Daryl Roth Theatre in New York City. It charts the comedian’s upbringing in Long Island, the loss of her mother, and her experience raising her five kids.
During her marriage to ex-wife Kelli Carpenter, O’Donnell adopted Parker, Blake, Chelsea, and Vivienne. She adopted her youngest, 13-year-old Clay, with late ex-wife Michelle Rounds. Since 2025, O’Donnell has lived in Ireland with Clay, which is chronicled in her one-woman play. As the comedian takes over the late-night show, get the latest on her children.
Parker O’Donnell
Parker was adopted by O’Donnell in 1995, and when the comedian married her now-ex-wife Carpenter, she also became his legal parent. Parker graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in 2014.
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He spent a year at Hofstra University studying photography before becoming a Marine in 2017, per his LinkedIn. He retired in 2021 and enrolled in the Los Angeles Film School, where he graduated in January 2025. Parker currently works as the director of store operations at Rogue State Gaming & Hobbies in New Jersey.
Chelsea O’Donnell
In 1997, O’Donnell and Carpenter adopted Chelsea as a baby. At 17 years old, Chelsea went missing for a week. The New Jersey police found her at the house of 25-year-old alleged heroin addict Steven Sheerer, whose attorney claimed he had a consensual relationship with Chelsea. The attorney also claimed that they’d met via Tinder, and Chelsea claimed she was 19.
O’Donnell’s representative, Cindi Berger, said in a statement that Chelsea had stopped taking her medication at the time. “Chelsea, like millions of people, lives with mental illness,” Berger said. “It has been a difficult road for Chelsea and her family, and they just want her back safe. [Rosie and Chelsea] have a good relationship. Rosie loves Chelsea very much.”
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About a month later, Chelsea moved to Wisconsin to live with her birth mom. “Chelsea made a decision when she turned 18 that she wanted to go to her birth mother. This was her choice,” Berger told People.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Chelsea claimed that O’Donnell kicked her out. “Rosie knew I was planning to leave, that’s why I think she kicked me out,” she alleged. “She asked me to talk about what was going on, and I didn’t want to. So she asked for my phone and my computer. This was hours before she told me to leave. I gave them to her. A few hours later, she told me to leave. I wasn’t planning to go until I turned 18 on the 24th.”
In March 2017, Chelsea secretly married Nicholas Alliegro, a 31-year-old plumber, months after meeting. She told Inside Edition that despite reconciling with her mom months earlier, they were no longer speaking. “I would just want her to know that we’re doing really great and we’re happy,” she said, adding that she hoped to reconnect with her adoptive mom someday.
Chelsea announced that she was expecting a baby with Alliegro that same year, a week after O’Donnell’s ex-wife, Michelle Rounds, died by suicide. O’Donnell tweeted at the time, “One year ago kid – u want a public discussion – did they pay u again – how much this time?” she tweeted. “Same same same chelsea… Michelle’s death = money 4 Chelsea.”
Chelsea did not have a child from her marriage with Alliegro, filing for divorce about two years after getting together. Chelsea moved on with then-boyfriend Jacob Bourassa, with whom she announced she was expecting her first child. Per People, O’Donnell and Chelsea had begun contacting each other again after the news. Chelsea gave birth to daughter Skylar Rose in December 2018. Chelsea and Bourassa went on to welcome daughter Riley in January 2021, daughter Avery Lynn in February 2022, and son Atlas in October 2023.
In the fall of 2024, Chelsea was arrested three times in Wisconsin on multiple charges, including child neglect and possession of methamphetamine. In February 2025, Chelsea pled guilty to resisting or obstructing an officer, felony bail jumping, and possession of methamphetamine, according to People. She was sentenced to six months of probation, which was later revoked.
Chelsea has been serving prison time since October 2025, and in June 2026, O’Donnell took to Instagram to write about visiting Chelsea there.
When her daughter was sentenced, O’Donnell said via a statement to People, “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.”
Blake O’Donnell
Blake was born in December 1999, and was adopted shortly after by O’Donnell and Carpenter. He’s kept a low profile for most of his life, though O’Donnell shared the news that Blake had begun attending Marist College in 2018.
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In December 2022, O’Donnell announced that Blake got engaged to his now-wife, Teresa Garofalow Westervelt, in an Instagram post. Blake and Teresa welcomed their first child, son Anthony, in March 2026.
Vivienne O’Donnell
With Carpenter, O’Donnell adopted daughter Vivienne after her birth in 2002. Similar to Blake, O’Donnell has shared Instagram updates about milestones in Vivienne’s life, including when she graduated from high school in 2021. Vivienne has also shared anecdotes about her upbringing via her TikTok.
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In 2025, Vivienne graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in public relations and communications, per LinkedIn. She lives in New York City, where she works at a production company called Red Green Blue.
Clay O’Donnell
With her then-second wife, O’Donnell adopted Clay, who was born in 2013. Before Rounds died by suicide in 2017, she tried to get sole custody of Clay following her 2015 divorce from O’Donnell.
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In September 2022, O’Donnell wrote about Clay’s autism diagnosis in an essay for People. “With [Clay], I am learning to have compassion much deeper than I ever did. To really listen and communicate in a way I never had to with my other kids. I know there are people struggling and they don’t know how they will get through another day. And I understand. But the sense of vulnerability that comes with having a kid with autism has been a gift to me. [They teach] me.”
O’Donnell told People that Clay brings out her tender side. “Clay’s vulnerability has forced me to be more connected,” the comedian said. “They want to spend all their time with me on their iPad, so it’s forced us to be close in a way that I hadn’t been with my other kids. My show is a love letter to Clay as well.”
In 2026, Clay came out as nonbinary, which O’Donnell spoke about on an episode of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. O’Donnell got “they” tattooed on her wrist so she wouldn’t forget her child’s pronouns.
