Back in October, we reported that Rosie O’Donnell had developed a close relationship with the convicted killer brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez. Now, Rosie is doubling down on this by gushing over the “love” that she has for Lyle in particular.
Rosie’s ‘Love’ For Lyle
“He started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have,” Rosie told the New York Times of Lyle. “He would tell me about his life, what he’s been doing in prison and, for the first time in my life, I felt safe enough to trust and be vulnerable and love a straight man.”
Lyle and Erik were each convicted of first-degree murder for the 1989 fatal shooting of their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez. During their trial in 1996, Rosie defended them on Larry King Live, saying that she believed their defense. Afterwards, Lyle sent her a letter in which he “thanked her for her support.” He also “stated his belief that she ‘knew’ from a personal place that what he was saying was true.”
The Menendez brothers have long claimed that the murders were self-defense after their father allegedly sexually abused them both for years. In her latest interview, Rosie explained that it was indeed her own personal experience that led her to believe the Menendez brothers. She claimed that “she and her siblings had been molested by their father.”
Despite this, Rosie didn’t respond to Lyle’s letter.
“At that point, I had not ventured anywhere near this in my family or in my therapy,” she acknowledged.
Related: Rosie O’Donnell Feels Like The ‘Big Sister’ Of The Menendez Brothers
Rosie Reunites With Lyle
Decades later, after watching a 2022 documentary about the Menendez brothers, Rosie took to TikTok to defend them. Lyle’s wife Rebecca Sneed, who he married while behind bars, then contacted Rosie herself. She wanted to “see if she was interested in speaking with him.”
When Rosie and Lyle finally talked on the phone, their call “lasted two or three hours,” according to her. Since then, they have stayed close, and they now talk regularly.
Rosie admitted that some of her friends have “expressed concern” about her being friends with a convicted killer like Lyle. When her friends told her “Ro, he’s a murderer,” she simply “shrugged.” She then traveled to meet Lyle in prison anyway. During this visit, Lyle revealed to her that he takes part in a program in which he and his fellow prison inmates help train and place dogs with blind, disabled veterans and children who have been diagnosed with autism.
Rosie Gets A Dog
This inspired Rosie to get a dog through the program for her 12 year-old autistic son Clay. She “spent two weeks commuting daily to the prison.” She then was able to bring home a Labrador mix named Kuma. This dog had been trained by a fellow inmate of Lyle’s who was convicted of armed robbery.
“I noticed the difference in Clay immediately,” Rosie claimed. “I was shocked to find out that all the stories I heard from other mothers of autistic children were true.”
Though there have been efforts to have the Menendez brothers resentenced and freed from prison, many feel that they belong behind bars. In the end, Rosie’s close bond with them is yet another example of Rosie O’Donnell marching to the beat of her own drum!
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