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Like any family, Rosie O’Donnell has a complicated relationship with her daughter, Chelsea – but unlike most, the peaks and valleys of the mother-daughter duo have been laid bare for the world to see for years.
The View host adopted Chelsea, who was born in September 2017, with ex wife Kelli Carpenter when she was still a baby.
The two have gone through extended periods of estrangements, sometimes making up and sometimes levying accusations at one another. While Rosie has admitted her daughter has battled addiction for a decade, Chelsea’s family insists they still want the best for her.
Early Family Struggles
Much of Chelsea’s early childhood was kept private by Rosie and her family, however, one incident made headlines when the troubled daughter was just 17.
On August 11, 2015, Chelsea disappeared from their home in Nyak, New York, sparking a frantic search effort and drawing intense media attention to the family.
“Rosie wants to thank everyone for their help, especially the South Nyack, New York, and Barneget Light, New Jersey, police departments. Her daughter Chelsea O’Donnell has been located by the police and is safe in their custody,” her rep told People after they had located the runaway several hours after she was first reported missing.
“Chelsea, like millions of people, lives with mental illness,” the rep continued. “It has been a difficult road for Chelsea and her family and they just want her back safe.”
She moved in with her birth mother following the incident, but in May 2017, Chelsea claimed to DailyMail that Rosie had actually kicked her out of their home that day.
“She tries to make people think I’m just crazy and she’s this great mother that’s trying to save her daughter when none of that’s really true,” the troubled teen, who was 19 at the time, told the outlet.
“Putting out there that I am mentally ill was really hurtful. People think I’m this crazy person and as I’ve said, I have depression and bad anxiety – but it’s been something that’s gotten a lot better. But these were personal things and I didn’t want anyone to know them about me.”
Grandkids Bring the Family Together
The two seemed to mend their relationship for a time after Chelsea had her first kid, Skylar. Rosie even spread the good news via social media, in a post which has now been deleted.
Chelsea has four children in total – Riley, Avery Lynn and Atlas – in addition to her first daughter. Rosie has posted about and taken pictures with all of them, indicating she’s an attentive grandma when things are going well between her and Chelsea.
Recent Arrest
Rosie broke her silence over Chelsea’s October 11 arrest a few weeks after the incident. Police in Wisconsin, where Chelsea had been living, carried out a search warrant of her home. They arrested the mother of four, charging her with neglecting a child, possession of methamphetamine, possession of THC and maintaining a drug trafficking place after they found her 11-month-old in squalid conditions surrounded by meth pipes, according to court documents obtained by In Touch.
She was released on bond but arrested a second time on drug charges while out. She spent 10 days in jail before posting a $4000 bond for the second arrest, despite the judge allowing her to post bond at any time.
She is scheduled to appear in court in December.
“Sadly, this is not new for our family,” the family stated. “Chelsea has struggled with drug addiction for a decade — we are all hopeful she will find her way out of this deadly disease.”
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English (US) ·