Rosie O’Donnell & Michelle Rounds’ custody battle is getting messier

Rosie O'Donnell

I often wonder why celebrities bother to get married at all. Rosie O’Donnell can’t seem to get along with anyone, so it wasn’t a big surprise when she and Michelle Rounds announced their split in February (a few weeks after Rosie left The View).

Rosie and Michelle were married for three years and adopted a daughter, Dakota, who is now 2 years old. I remember their prenup had a no-cheating clause, but no one’s talking about cheating now. Rosie and Michelle simply hate each other. The drama kicked into medium gear last week with news that Rosie and Michelle are fighting over custody of Dakota. Michelle filed for full custody, insisting that the movie is “unequivocally in their child’s best interest and general welfare.” Rosie believes that Michelle is using Dakota as a pawn. Here’s a roundup of the news on this increasingly messy battle:

* Somebody went straight to TMZ to discuss Rosie’s alleged drinking and drugging. A source says Rosie drinks a bottle of wine per night and smokes pot (along with eating pot brownies) on the regular. Michelle, who claims to be a millionaire on her own (stock market), also promises that she’ll walk away from Rosie’s money if she gets full custody.

* Last week, Michelle was spotted hugging all over model Carmen Ortega outside a restaurant. Supposedly, these two are just friends, but Michelle made a point of getting affectionate for the cameras. They went out for a second dinner too. Carmen is a rumored reason for the Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks breakup. She also may have gotten with Reggie Bush during his Kim Kardashian phase.

* Michelle has criticized Rosie’s parenting style. She wants Dakota to have “a normal life” instead of being raised by nannies and stuck indoors 24/7. Michelle says, “I’m at my daughter’s every beck and call. I give her mild discipline instead of like carte blanche, do whatever you want, which is more or less how Rosie likes to do things.” Michelle also plans to ask a judge to require drug testing for Rosie until their custody battle ends.

* Michelle told TMZ that she wasn’t the one to call TMZ about the pot stuff. She’s also angry that Rosie Instagrammed this photo of Dakota with a “do I get a vote?” caption. Yeah, this was pretty low of Rosie, but both she and Michelle are behaving badly.

excuse me – do i get a vote?

A photo posted by Rosie ODonnell (@rosie) on

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell

Photos courtesy of WENN

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

68 Responses to “Rosie O’Donnell & Michelle Rounds’ custody battle is getting messier”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. NewWester says:

    Does anyone else see a resemblance between Michelle and Julia Roberts?

    • Amberica says:

      I see 90s soap star.

    • TorontoE says:

      I see Leslie Mann

    • Two Degrees says:

      So basically Rosie ends up in messy fights with everyone or almost?

      • Jayna says:

        In all fairness, it’s the soon-to-be ex doing the messy fighting. Rosie hasn’t gone to court trying to strip this woman of half custody. That’s how they are doing it now while separated, and she hasn’t tried to change it permanently. She hasn’t leaked anything (yet), like this woman has been doing continually.

        And she’s a nobody, yet all of a sudden has been being papped — more like doing staged photo-ops with a Reggie Bush ex Kim lookalike, who has her boobs pushed out to painful proportions. Michelle is appearing to be a fame-ho.

        I don’t doubt Rosie has her own issues, but I also don’t trust this Michelle woman at all and her intentions.

      • a cut above says:

        @ Jayna: Maybe. But it seems like the common denominator in all of Rosie’s messy, dramatic interpersonal issues is…herself. It doesn’t seem like she can make it work amicably with anyone.

      • Sabrine says:

        She should quit marrying these women she hooks up with. It’s not worth it. Let them keep their own residence and work it that way. Otherwise, it’s just going to get incredibly messy when it implodes.

      • Imo says:

        Jayna
        Wow. What does a woman’s cup size have to do with anything?

    • doofus says:

      I see Jerry Hall.

    • Perfectly executed Chewbacca sound says:

      I see Jane Seymour.

  2. Imo says:

    O’Donnell is truly irritating to me. I just don’t like her and her quip that she understamds racism because she’s “raising a black kid” made me rage-y.

    • Jules says:

      Can’t stand her.

    • Gea says:

      Rosie have made a lots of controversial statements and ye, she is famous for being that, over the top and outspoken. Perhaps, there is more to that as she publicly spoke of her issues in the past. I wonder who was Michele before Rosie, never heard of her. Maybe Rosie is bad at relationships but then she strikes me as a very good mom. Very much devoted to her kids. Team Rosie here.

  3. Elisabeth says:

    If Rosie got the gastric sleeve…I’m surprised she is drinking so heavily. The doctors tell you, you will get drunk very quickly and can’t drink like you used to.

    • Kiddo says:

      Yeah, I remember reading something about that.

      • denisemich says:

        She said on the View that she doesn’t drink anymore and a host of other things. This of course was before I stopped watching the View. But it was in relation to all the things she had to give up to lose the weight and get healthy.

        Also, I see Rosie O as a Beer drinker not a wine drinker.

        Regardless of her claims, Michelle wants money. I don’t think that is or ever was love.

    • Izzy says:

      Did she get gastric sleeve? If so and she’s drinking heavily, it also explains why she hasn’t been able to lose further weight. Gastric surgery is only a tool, she still needs o change bad habits – including caloric consumption, even in liquid form.

      I just feel for the kid during this whole trainwreck of a custody battle. And vocal support from her former co-hosts is so far noticeably absent. I wonder if that’s coming, or if their silence just speaks volumes?

    • Lady D says:

      @Elisabeth:What makes you think she is a heavy drinker?

  4. Kath says:

    How is Rosie O’Donnell seemingly able to adopt kids so easily? She’s got a whole bunch now, despite known anger issues, messy ex issues etc. I know the US has private adoptions, but it all seems a bit sudden when others wait years and years for a single child.

    • Francesca says:

      $$$

    • Artemis says:

      Whenever i see any celeb (personal issues or not) adopting infants, I’m serioulsy side-eyeing any agency who are so quick to process their paperwork because: rich. Why not treat the thousands of families the same? They go through the same paperwork but have to wait years and years and then have a 3-year old (with possibly a plethora of issues such as attachment, mental and/or physical health).

      And you know something is up when certain celebrities adopt together with a partner and then they split up (Bullock and Jolie) which should impact the process as any change in the household is another reason to review the application but no, they can just adopt as a single parent? I want to adopt so this is something I’m interested in. Maybe I’m wrong but it seems awfully easy for rich people to bring a child in their home.

      • KellyBee says:

        Why do you think if a celebrity adopts an infant the agency sped up their process?

        My cousin and her husband who are not famous or rich adopted a infant and got a call two years after adopting their first son from their case worker and ask them if they wanted to adopt another baby who was only two weeks old and they did.

        I’m not saying celebrities don’t get special treatment but the process does happen fast for some and painfully slow for others.

      • anon321 says:

        The rich and famous can adopt even when they have huge issues – drugs, messy personal/partner/family problems, mental health issues – that would quickly disqualify the average person. Money changes everything.

  5. Greata says:

    No matter how she dresses it up Rosie is truly unstable IMO, and it seems to be getting worse.

    • PunkyMomma says:

      ^This. It is still shocking to me that Rosie, with her health issues, both mental and physical, is still able to adopt a newborn baby. Money talks.

  6. The photo off Rosie kissing Michelle is almost as creepy as the photo of Travolta kissing Scarlett.

  7. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    Ugh. I would hate to be a family court judge. You must just want to slap these people.

    • Tig says:

      Eh- most folks who seek out family court judgeships have seen this dynamic play out countless times. Folks getting worked up over children is at least understandable- the bitterness over place mats/dishes and the like(backing out family heirlooms) is the real head scratcher.

      • Jayna says:

        I remember being in divorce court where the judge became so exasperated with the couple fighting over even old cookware, like a teflon pan, agreeing onpractically nothing (and the husband was an accountant, so not struggling), that the judge had them do an A/B tagging of every item they couldn’t agree on, and just each take turns picking and tagging what was left A, B, A , B, until everything down to the most trivial items were all tagged by them. So silly.

    • BengalCat2000 says:

      My cousin and his soon to be ex are arguing over who gets a 10 foot concrete cat statue. People are idiots.

  8. Jayna says:

    I don’t like this Michelle woman. She seems like an opportunist and she is leaking everything to the press. I will let the Court be the judge if any of this sticks. I’m sure they will get shared custody in the end.

  9. Dorothy#1 says:

    I love Rosie but I hate when people use children as pawns. 🙁

  10. L&Mmommy says:

    I cannot stand Rosie. Ugh. She clearly has issues, she truly cannot get along with anyone. Hopefully women will stop marrying her and putting children between the drama.

    • julie says:

      Rosie has raised 4 kids who all seem to be happy & healthy. Michelle hasn’t raised any so who is she to criticize Rosie’s parenting?

    • Jayna says:

      She and Kelly were together a very long time and did a slow and planned out split over the course of a year and co-parented fine and have never said a bad word about each other to the press. They exhausted everything trying to stay together for the kids, but Kelly and Rosie were going in different directions as far as interests and friends and Kelly branching out on her own careerwise.

      And Kelly is rich in her own right, a trust fund, so it’s not like she had to bow down to Rosie in that way, afraid of her or anything in the divorce, and she never hinted at Rosie not being a good parent.

    • Imo says:

      Julie
      So one has to have raised more than one child to be a good mom who does what is best for her children?
      Kate Gosselin, Octomom and the Duggars love your statement.

      • julie says:

        I didn’t say that. I feel that Rosie has done a good job w/ all of her children & has proved herself. Michelle hasn’t raised any to adulthood so we have no idea what kind of mother she is. I also don’t think Michelle is doing the best thing for the baby by trying to take her away not only from Rosie but from her siblings.

      • Imo says:

        But you said who is she to criticize Rosie’s parenting. She is the co-parent. I would think less of her if she said “Oh well, I won’t say anything because Rosie’s already done this a time or two”
        As for the siblings hopefully they will be able to have a positive relationship as they grow up but Michelle’s first priority is her daughter.
        Having said that I don’t see where Michelle has laid out a compelling argument for sole custody. Having too much wine with dinner does not a bad parent make.
        *shrug*

      • MoxyLady007 says:

        My mom has raised 10 amazing kids inspite of my dad. It’s nota Testament to Rosie but to her ex partner.

  11. Santia says:

    How noble of Michelle to say she won’t take a penny of Rosie’s money if she’s awarded full custody, knowing very well that she cannot give away the child’s right to child support. The court will award child support anyway, and with Rosie’s money, it’ll be a lot.

    • Jayna says:

      Bingo.

    • FLORC says:

      Right.
      And she’s banking on the world hating rosie to award her custody, but she seems horrible. They both seem bad. Poor child.

    • paleokifaru says:

      Agreed. What a mess. I tend to think a lot of people honestly can’t co-parent after a divorce so I’m not always sold on joint legal and physical custody since it ends up tying up the courts in really trivial bull. However, I *do* think that it’s important for kids to have a relationship with both parents as long as there’s not abuse, neglect, etc. And in custody cases I’ve seen I agree with Sarah below that typically the parent seeking full custody without any actual danger is probably not the parent who should get full custody. They’re usually the ones trying to alienate the child from the other parent and won’t be remotely cooperative or thoughtful towards that person as a parent.

  12. sarah says:

    Rosie seems like a great mom. People who seek full custody and try to rip a child away from their ex partner are either vindictive or they truly believe the child is in danger. But Rosie’s past is clean. You may not like her feuds on TV but there is no record of her being a bad mom in 2 decades.

    • soxfan says:

      I work at a summer school/camp in the East and we have had tons of celeb/famous kids. Parker attended a few years ago and he was awesome-polite, respectful and very kind to the other students. Both Kelli and Rosie came for visits (separately) and they were awesome as well.

    • paleokifaru says:

      I genuinely don’t have any inkling if Rosie is a good or bad parent but I do agree that in what I’ve seen of custody cases it’s usually the parent going for full custody that is really vindictive and will be a terrible co-parent. In most cases they basically flat out refuse to co-parent and drag everything through attorneys and the court system. So yes, massive side eye towards her going for full custody without any proof of abuse or neglect. There’s no way she’ll be cooperative if they’re awarded 50/50 and this will be a mess for years.

  13. LAK says:

    This is messy. That Michelle person is determined to fight it out publicly.

  14. nnire says:

    I really don’t think the ‘do I get a vote’ picture is that big of a deal. Both of these ladies post pictures of this child on a regular basis. There is nothing offensive about this picture, and a child’s wishes and best interests should be considered. This wee one probably is bonded to her other 4 siblings, and it probably would be very hard for her to be placed away from them. Nobody has reason to believe that Rosie’s other children are anything but happy and healthy kids, and she was able to successfully co-parent with her other ex wife and keep all the drama out of the media to protect the children. She is not the one trying to pick a ridiculous media fight, and she asked her fans to not post comments on instagram or twitter about this mess because she doesn’t want her children to be reading about this craziness.

    People don’t have to agree with Rosie’s television or radio persona, but I think it’s unfair to judge a celebrity’s parenting abilities based on assumptions or what we’ve seen on tv. She is paid to be opinionated. Not suggesting she is a saint without problems, but none of us are.

    • phoenix says:

      +1

    • Other Kitty says:

      Well put, NNire. I really don’t care for Rosie O’Donnell, but it doesn’t matter what I think. The best interests of the child must be the driving force and that may include not ripping her away from her siblings and family. This kind of stuff affects children for their entire life. Poor kid.

  15. Inconceivable! says:

    Even Rosie has stated Michelle has plenty of her own money. (At least she said that when they first met and married.) They are both playing dirty now, but Rosie has been that way with every ex. What if Michelle has some valid points about the parental abilities of Rosie. I don’t agree with her method, but she may think bringing the drug & alcohol issues out publicly is her best chance to get the public and courts to even consider her position. I have no doubt some judges will fall all over themselves for a celebrity, even Rosie.

    • nnire says:

      If Michelle had issues about Rosie’s parenting, surely she had an opportunity to see them prior to marrying her and adopting a child with her, given that she has four other children and they started dating in 2011?

      This is my family court pet peeve: when people separate and all of a sudden they accuse each other of all kinds of things they were accepting of during the relationship. My favourite is when someone accuses the other of smoking/using pot, and the judge turns around and says: “How long have you known about this drug usage?” “Uh, from the beginning.” “And yet you decided to date this person, marry them, have children with them, and NOW you have a problem with this???” There are obviously exceptions to this, such as domestic violence where a partner didn’t disclose the abuse for fear of their/their children’s lives.

      My humble, not asked-for opinion is that unless there are real parenting problems (as defined by child protection services, and not Fox News or Twitter), that the child should enjoy a good relationship with both parents, especially when there are siblings involved.

      • paleokifaru says:

        I’m with you nnire! Now granted, I have witnessed people not thinking through choosing their life and parenting partners. But that’s where you kind of figure they need to suck it up. You’re not agreeing in your house and you won’t agree in separate houses. Parent your way in your house and make sure you explain your rules or lack thereof without being mean towards the other parent. I can testify that it is totally possible to do this!

      • Other Kitty says:

        Yes, NNire, well put.

  16. original kay says:

    I think the “do I get a vote” picture is fantastic.

    We always say “think of the child” and here she is, thinking of the child.

    This is most I’ve ever liked Rosie, probably be the last time, but I like that picture.