Who Is Rosie O'Donnell's Much Younger Fiancee?
The third time's a charm for comedian and Emmy award-winning talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, as she's ready to get married again to a much younger woman — Elizabeth Rooney. The pair met at a theater benefit in Boston, where O'Donnell is filming her Showtime original series, SMILF (which stands for "single mom I'd like to f**k"). The jokes write themselves.
Now that we know how the two lovebirds met, who exactly is Rosie O'Donnell's fiancée? From her unique career in law enforcement and impressive fighting skills, to her strong selfie game and knowledge (or lack thereof) about O'Donnell's idol, let's take a deep dive into the life of this bride to be. If you like strong, independent women who ride horses, you might fall in love with her as well. All Rooney is missing are three adopted dragons. That's a Game of Thrones reference, but you already knew that, of course. Just trying to paint the picture here, guys!
There's a big age difference
At the time of their engagement, Rosie O'Donnell is 56, and Elizabeth Rooney is 33, but age is just a number and love is love.
"I am in love. It's the first time I've ever dated someone younger than me, and it's a very trippy thing," O'Donnell revealed on The Howard Stern Show. "I get along with her so well. It's kind of fascinating." O'Donnell claimed that although it took Rooney a few tries to get O'Donnell to agree to go out on an actual date, the "I love you" talk came pretty fast. "We're lesbians. That's like week two," O'Donnell quipped.
Their age difference has caused at least one problem, though. "The one thing that she doesn't know ... Streisand," O'Donnell said. The former talk show host rectified that situation by forcing her fiancée to watch one of her favorite movies, Barbra Streisand's Funny Girl. Rooney's review? "It was good." We wonder what percent that would be on Rotten Tomatoes?
Mount up
Talking to Extra's AJ Calloway at the fall gala for her Rosie's Theater Kids charity in November 2017, O'Donnell dropped a few details about the new love in her life. "I've been dating a woman who's a police officer from Worcester, [Mass.] and she's on the mountain division, so she rides a horse every day," The League of Their Own actress revealed.
A quick scroll through Rooney's Instagram shows she takes her job very seriously, and on Feb. 22, 2017, it became official. "Officially a Mountie !!! #graduated," she posted. Since her graduation, Rooney and her horse have made quite the photogenic pair. (Even horses need that good selfie light.) "Best job in the world !!!! Happy #nationalpoliceweek #MountedPolice," she wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a photo of her and her steed surrounded by a crowd of excited kids. It's not all work, however. Sometimes Rooney and her partner enjoy a little horseplay.
It was all very hush hush at first
According to Radar Online, Rosie O'Donnell popped the question over the summer, but the couple decided not to share the news to protect Elizabeth Rooney's anonymity and professional life as a police officer. "Elizabeth is in the police force, so she tries to keep a lot of those details on the low," a source said. "They're very, very happy. I do believe that this will see its full life-term expectancy."
And in case you're wondering if a police officer from Massachusetts can keep up with a loudmouthed Hollywood comedian whose spent decades in the public eye, don't worry. She'll do just fine. "Liz is a big personality," the insider said. "She always has been."
As for their unexpected engagement after only about a year of dating? "She is incredibly endearing so it's no surprise at all," the source said. Sounds like a match made in heaven to us!
She could probably beat you up
Seriously. Don't try it, guys. Elizabeth Rooney is a military veteran and an accomplished pugilist. "She was in the Army for eight years," Rosie O'Donnell told Extra. "She was an undefeated boxing champion in the Army."
In fact, it was that love of fighting that helped Rooney and O'Donnell realize they had mutual interests. "We are both huge UFC enthusiasts," O'Donnell said. "It's fun to have someone to watch it with because nobody in my house cared. She's wonderful."
O'Donnell is a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This is something that you now know. No word yet if Rooney also likes fighting online with Donald Trump as much as her soon-to-be wife.
"Rosie's a loser. A real loser. I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie," Trump said in 2006. We just Googled that quote. That means Rooney can, too. Better sign an executive order to get that scrubbed off the internet, Donald.
Manhattan? No thanks
Rosie O'Donnell dropped $8 million on a four-bedroom penthouse in Midtown Manhattan in 2017, but don't expect Elizabeth Rooney to be hiring movers anytime soon. "They are comfortable living apart," a family insider told Radar Online. Rooney is "certainly not" planning to relocate for love, the insider claimed. "Lyz has an amazing job. They don't take a lot of equestrian police officers, so the fact that she was able to make the squad is incredibly important to her."
Rumor has it that O'Donnell may replace Julie Chen on The Talk, which films in Studio City, Calif. Depending on how much O'Donnell makes if she takes the gig, there's no reason not to buy Studio City a mounted police force of their own and make Rooney the captain. Why not make it a television show? Capt. Rooney. No horses were harmed.
She changed Rosie O'Donnell's mind
Two weeks after San Francisco began granting same-sex marriages in 2004, Rosie O'Donnell married former Nickelodeon marketing executive Kelli Carpenter. They split in 2007 (per People), but didn't announce the news until 2009. O'Donnell tried her luck with marriage again in 2012, when she wed Michelle Rounds. The couple finalized its divorce in 2016 (per E! News). Tragically, Rounds was found dead in her home on Sept. 11, 2017, after an apparent suicide. She was 46 years old.
We wouldn't blame O'Donnell if she never wanted to get married again. The Emmy-winner echoed that sentiment in November 2017, when Howard Stern asked if she would ever consider walking down the aisle a third time. "I will not, ever," she replied. "For me, being 55, I just think I would rather stay in it for love and not have to deal with lawyers if, God forbid, it shouldn't work out."
Less than a year later, she was engaged to Elizabeth Rooney.
She'll become a stepmom
The pending nuptials will be Elizabeth Rooney's first marriage, and she doesn't have any children, but marrying Rosie O'Donnell is a package deal. As soon as she says "I do," Rooney will become a stepmom to O'Donnell's five children: Parker, Chelsea, Blake, and Vivienne (with Kelli Carpenter), and Dakota (with Michelle Rounds).
Rooney would have been a stepmom to six kids, but due to a Florida law prohibiting same-sex family adoption, authorities removed a foster child O'Donnell planned to adopt from her home in 2001. "That's the state that I live, that's where I vote, that's the home that I love is Florida and the fact that that state would say to me, you are not a competent parent is mind boggling to me," O'Donnell told Larry King in 2002 (via CNN).