Rosie O’Donnell Admits To Shocking 'Love' Connection With Lyle Menendez

Rosie O’Donnell is opening up about an unexpected emotional connection with convicted murderer Lyle Menendez.

In a new interview, the 63-year-old comedian and former talk show host revealed that Menendez is the first “straight man” she’s ever “loved” and “trusted.”

According to Rosie O’Donnell, their relationship has evolved through regular phone calls and letters over the years.

“He started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have,” she shared with The New York Times. “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 was convicted alongside his younger brother, Erik, for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. Both were sentenced to life in prison without parole, though they’re now seeking resentencing that could grant them immediate eligibility for parole.

O'Donnell's revelation comes at a pivotal time for the Menendez brothers, who have each served more than 35 years behind bars. As reported by NBC News, on Friday, a Southern California judge gave the green light for a legal review that could result in new sentences. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic denied a motion from the district attorney’s office seeking to overturn a prior recommendation to reduce the brothers’ life sentences without parole to 50 years to life.

With hearings scheduled for April 17 and 18, the outcome could make both Lyle and Erik eligible for parole immediately.

O’Donnell’s connection to Lyle dates back to 1996, when she voiced her support for the brothers during an appearance on "Larry King Live." At the time, she expressed belief in their claims that the murders were committed in self-defense following years of alleged abuse.

Shortly after, Lyle sent her a letter thanking her for standing up for them, though she didn’t respond initially, a decision rooted in her own trauma. O’Donnell disclosed that “she and her siblings had been molested by their father,” and said Lyle sensed that “she ‘knew’ from a personal place that what he was saying was true.”

“At that point, I had not ventured anywhere near this in my family or in my therapy,” she told the Times.

It wasn’t until 2022, after she watched a documentary on the Menendez case and discussed it on TikTok, that the two reconnected. Lyle’s wife, Rebecca Sneed, reportedly reached out to see if O’Donnell would be interested in speaking with him again.

Their first phone conversation lasted three hours. Since then, the two have maintained a close friendship through regular correspondence, and O’Donnell has even visited him in prison.

The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder following two separate trials in the 1990s. They claimed the killings stemmed from years of abuse, saying Lyle confronted their father, an entertainment executive, about the alleged mistreatment of Erik and threatened to expose him. According to Lyle, his father's reaction felt threatening.

Prosecutors have long rejected the abuse allegations, arguing instead that the murders were calculated acts driven by financial gain.

L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman has stated that the evidence, a photocopy of an undated letter Erik claims to have sent to a cousin in December 1988, fails to meet the legal threshold necessary for a judge to grant a new trial.

In February, Newsom ordered the state’s parole board to carry out a “risk assessment” to determine if the brothers would pose a significant threat to public safety if released. The findings are expected by June.

Beyond their resentencing effort, the brothers have pursued two additional avenues for release: a clemency request submitted to California Governor Gavin Newsom and a petition contesting their convictions.

The revelation comes on the heels of another major personal update as O’Donnell recently confirmed she relocated to Ireland to escape the political climate under President Donald Trump.

She said she’ll return “when it’s safe for all citizens to have equal rights.”