How did Rosie O'Donnell become friends with Lyle Menendez? Comedian says the Menendez brother made her feel 'safe' to "love a straight man"

Comedian and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell opened up about her friendship with Lyle Menendez in an exclusive interview with The New York Times. She talked about her documentary Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism, which, she said, was inspired by her bond with Lyle Menendez.

During the brothers' 1996 trial, O’Donnell appeared on Larry King Live and shared her belief that they had been abused as children and that the killings were a form of self-defense.

Lyle Menendez later wrote to her, thanking her and saying he felt she understood his story. Rosie O'Donnell revealed that she also had a similar story about being abused by a parent.

In 2022, after watching a documentary about the Menendez brothers, Rosie O’Donnell talked about their case on TikTok. Soon after that, Lyle Menendez’s wife, Rebecca Sneed, contacted her to ask if she wanted to speak with him. This followed their first conversation, and according to the news outlet, it lasted three hours. The comedian recalled:

“Then he started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have. 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.”

After that, some of her friends were worried and reminded her that he had committed murder. Despite their concerns, Rose O'Donnell ignored them and went ahead with visiting Lyle Menendez in prison.

Rosie O’Donnell shared that Lyle Menendez’s mother was aware of what happened to her children

Speaking to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo in 2024, Rosie O’Donnell was asked how the news of the LA County DA reviewing their case was perceived by the Menendez brothers. She shared that after talking with their attorney about the upcoming appearance, she called to check in and was told that the brothers were cautious about getting their hopes up.

After spending 35 years in prison and dealing with childhood abuse, it was hard for them to believe things could change. She also appreciated how younger generations helped bring attention to their case, as many had learned about it in school and started movements like “Free the Menendez Brothers.”

In another interview with Cuomo in 2023, she pointed out the rhetoric that the brothers were old enough to leave the house when the abuse happened to them. Rosie O'Donnell reflected on the ages, pointing out that they were young, 17 and 21, at the time. As a mother of five, she knew how much support children still needed at that stage.

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She emphasized that one of the brothers had endured severe abuse, which was backed by photo evidence, and most of their family, except for one member, admitted they had sensed something was wrong but didn’t know how to respond.

Rosie O'Donnell added that just five days before the murders, Lyle Menendez’s mother told them she had known about the abuse all along, and it was then that Lyle discovered Eric had also gone through the same trauma.

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