Following the prosecution’s petition to resentence Lyle and Erik, several celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Cooper Koch, have spoken out in favor of the Menéndez brothers’ release.
The Menendez brothers received a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole for the double murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
TV personality Rosie O’Donnell also joined the call for their freedom.
O’Donnell has been sharing social media posts with the hashtag ‘#freetheMenendezbrothers’.
However, in an unexpected twist, her daughter Chelsea O’Donnell criticized her for advocating for the Menéndez brothers while neglecting her own situation.
Chelsea accused her mother of “turning her back on her” after she was arrested for drug possession in Wisconsin last month.
“My mother is more interested in getting the Menendez brothers released from prison than getting me out,” she told DailyMail in an interview.
Chelsea criticized her mother’s “selective judgment,” stating, “My mother thinks she’s this great person helping out the world, including the Menendez brothers, yet she is letting me sit here in jail.”
She asserted that the Rosie the public sees is not the real Rosie, noting that she hasn’t seen her grandchildren in nearly two and a half years.
Chelsea has four children: daughters Skylar Rose, five, Riley, three, and Avery Lynn, two, from a previous relationship, along with her son Atlas, who just turned one.
Here’s what we know about Rosie and Chelsea strained relationship
What led to Chelsea and Rosie’s strained relationships?
Chelsea’s relationship with Rosie has been troubled and has garnered media attention over the years.
Rosie, a mother of five, adopted Chelsea when she was a baby with her ex-wife Kelli Carpenter.
She raised her until 2015, when 17-year-old Belle ran away from home, only to be found a week later with her then-boyfriend.
That year, she moved to Wisconsin to live with her birth mother.
After that, O’Donnell was estranged from her daughter until 2018, when they reconnected while Belle was pregnant with her first child.
Following her recent arrest for on October 11 for possessing methamphetamine, and narcotic drugs, Chelsea claimed her mother was responsible for the drug use.
‘I was fine until Rosie kicked me out of her home when I was 18 years old. I’ve been using on and off since then,’ Chelsea said. ‘I can quit using, but my family makes me hate myself.’
In her interview with DailyMail, Chelsea acknowledged her struggles with drug use.
“I have a drug problem,” she said. “I need to go to rehab, but I never killed anyone like the Menendez brothers. My mother has turned her back on me.”
Chelsea also alleged that Rosie didn’t want her to have any of her children, even offering to pay for abortions and suggesting that she put her kids up for adoption after giving birth.
“Rosie wanted me to pay $3,000 for a late-term abortion for my two youngest girls, Riley and Avery. That’s the cost of each late-term abortion.”
She added, “What a great grandmother; she wanted me to abort my girls!”
Furthermore, Chelsea, claimed she was not invited to her brother Blake’s wedding in August.
‘I was sober at the time and Rosie told me: “You can’t go, nobody wants you there.
I’m human, what’s the point of being sober? I can’t even be a part of this family”, she said sorrowfully.
Why was Chelsea O’Donell Arrested?
Chelsea O’Donnell and boyfriend Jacob Nelund were arrested on October 11 for possession of methamphetamine, narcotic drugs, and other charges.
This marks O’Donnell’s second arrest in two months.
Chelsea’s latest arrest in Oconto County came shortly after her release from Marinette County, where she faced felony charges for drug trafficking, child neglect, and possession.
She is currently being held on a $5,000 cash bond.
Reacting to her daughter’s arrest, Rosie in a post via Instagram said Chelsea’s arrest wasn’t a new occurrence in her family.
“Sadly this is not new for our family – Chelsea has struggled with drug addiction for a decade – we r all hopeful she will find her way out of this deadly disease”, she wrote.
She attached a selfie of Chelsea holding her baby which she described as a ‘photo from a better time.’
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
When she’s not writing, Olekanma enjoys immersing herself in a good book, exploring new cuisines, and discovering new cultures.