Comedian lives in ‘political exile’ in Ireland due to long-running feud with US president

She’s known around the world for her comedy but to Rosie O’Donnell, there’s nothing funny about her feud with Donald Trump.

While millions around the world find O’Donnell hilarious, she’s made a very high-profile enemy in the US president.

In fact, he’s so irritated by the actress and comedian that he sprays petty insults in her direction whenever he can.

The high-profile feud between Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump showing no signs of slowing down. (60 Minutes)

In turn, O’Donnell gives pretty much as good as she gets – including in her new one-woman show, Common Knowledge, which she’s about to bring to Australia.

The bizarre tit-for-tat slinging has been going on for nearly two decades, ever since O’Donnell first called out Trump in 2006.

But their fight has only escalated since his return to the Oval Office and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Trump has even threatened to revoke O’Donnell citizenship, though as it currently stands, the Constitution would prevent this becoming reality.

While O’Donnell now lives in Ireland, far from the wrath of Trump, she grew up on New York’s Long Island, where at just 10 years old she lost her mother.

It was a loss that would go on to shape the now world-famous comedian’s sense of humour, she told 60 Minutes.

“Most comedians I know have had some real big trauma in their childhood,” she said. 

“And in our family, traditional Irish kind of stereotype, true emotions weren’t allowed to be discussed unless they were cloaked in comedy.”

O’Donnell would use humour to address her mother’s death, joking about the notably empty seat at the dinner table.

Then, at 16 years old, O’Donnell began a career in stand-up comedy, quickly finding success. 

The comedy clubs of New York soon gave way to film sets in Los Angeles, where O’Donnell starred in movies like A League of Their Own and Sleepless in Seattle.

From there, O’Donnell went on to have her own top-rating daytime television show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Rosie O’Donnell began her stand-up comedy career at just 16 years old. (60 Minutes)

Life was good but something was missing.

She longed to be a mother – and of course, like much of what had happened before in her life, motherhood soon came with a punchline.

“I do a joke in my act that I adopted five children, but I had the epidural anyway,” she told 60 Minutes.

O’Donnell is now the proud mother of five adopted children and unsurprisingly, they’re being raised the traditional Irish way – loving, supportive and full of lessons about caring for the less fortunate.

“My mum taught me that you had to help others, and she was active in politics,” O’Donnell said.

“Discussions at our table were often political [in] origin.”

It’s that sense of political justice that has landed O’Donnell in hot water over the years – and is partly responsible for her “political exile” in Ireland.

Despite her 20-year rolling battle with Trump showing no signs of easing, O’Donnell said being in Ireland isn’t all bad.

“I’m very happy here. The distance has given me tremendous grace,” she said.

“I knew I could not take being in America watching [Trump] ruin everything that we had worked so hard for as a nation to get freedom for everyone and to get something close to equality.”

Like many things in Rosie’s life, motherhood has become the inspiration for a punchline. (60 Minutes)

Despite being thousands of kilometres away, the comedian refuses to stay silent on the current state of affairs in the US. 

“When it comes to democracy dying in America, I’m not silent,” she said.

“And when it comes to the president right now and what his actions are and who he is, innately I am not quiet.

“If I didn’t love my country, I wouldn’t speak out to try to protect it.”

For now, O’Donnell hopes Australians will give her the same sanctuary the Irish have when she tours her one-woman show, Common Knowledge, next month in Sydney and Melbourne.

And of course, the show comes with a guarantee of side-splitting punchlines and a loud mouth.

“That’s the truth – I have a loud mouth,” O’Donnell told 60 Minutes.

“That has been my biggest hope of life, that nobody will say ‘God, she was dull’.

“I want to be vivacious like a firework.”

Watch the full episode of 60 Minutes on 9Now.