Rosie O’Donnell asked fans for prayers on Oct. 29 after her daughter, Chelsea O’Donnell, 28, was sent to prison for violating probation. Court records show the probation revocation happened on Oct. 22 in Wisconsin.
According to People Magazine, Chelsea’s case stems from a string of arrests between September and November 2024 on felony charges that included possession of methamphetamine, bail jumping, resisting an officer, and child neglect. She later pled guilty to three counts and, on March 31, received a six-year probation term that required sobriety and barred contact with drug users.
At the time, multiple outlets confirmed that probation was the court’s alternative to incarceration at the time, and that any violation could trigger prison time. Entertainment Weekly and People both documented that timeline in detail.
“My child chelsea belle… prayers welcomed,” she wrote on Instagram, posting a childhood photo to underscore the plea. As People put it, Rosie also said her daughter faces a “scary future.”
Where Chelsea is heading
Entertainment Weekly noted that Chelsea’s return to custody followed probation violations tied to recent misconduct, including dismissal from a treatment court program, with Rosie reiterating public support for her daughter despite the setbacks.
Meanwhile, TMZ reported Chelsea is currently in general population at Marinette County Jail with access to phones, TV, and visits, and that transfers to state prison typically take 2 to 12 weeks. The outlet added the revocation followed sexual assault allegations in September, and cited Us Weekly reporting that she will likely be moved to Taycheedah Correctional Institution, a medium-security facility in Fond du Lac.
Multiple sources including E! News and The Independent confirmed the Oct. 22 revocation and Rosie’s public appeal a week later, emphasizing how quickly the situation escalated.
Chelsea’s story
Beyond the headlines, People notes Chelsea was adopted as a baby and is now a mother of four: daughters Skylar Rose, Riley, and Avery Lynn, and son Atlas. Rosie’s statement asked for compassion, saying Chelsea “was born into addiction,” and that the family will keep supporting her and the children.
The initial six-year probation, widely reported in spring 2025, laid out strict conditions: absolute sobriety, no contact with known users, and compliance with programs. That leniency has now given way to a tougher reality after the violations, which several outlets say were documented across multiple incidents.
Why this hits hard
It’s always eye-opening when writing stories like this. Addiction isn’t a plotline, it’s a long grind that shreds families in public and in private. Celebrity news used to feel less brutal. Today it often reads like bad reality TV with a social media spotlight.
What matters now is whether the next chapter includes consistent care and a path that keeps the family anchored while the courts do what they do. Rosie’s plea wasn’t about clicks. It was a parent, asking for grace in a moment that’s already taken so much.