Liberal comedian Rosie O’Donnell has acknowledged the stunning arrest of her eldest daughter, Chelsea Belle O’Donnell, on multiple felony charges including child neglect and drug possession.
The 27-year-old mother of four was arrested on September 10 in Marinette County, Wisconsin, after police executed a search warrant at her Amberg home.
“Chelsea is in the news today,” Rosie wrote on Instagram, sharing a photo of her daughter. “This is a photo from a better time. Sadly this is not new for our family. Chelsea has struggled with drug addiction for a decade. We are all hopeful she will find her way out of this deadly disease.”
According to court records, Chelsea faces several felony charges, including neglecting a child, possession of methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug trafficking place.
She also faces misdemeanor charges for possession of THC, drug paraphernalia, illegally obtained prescription drugs, and disorderly conduct.
Initially released on a $2,000 bond from Marinette County Jail, Chelsea was rearrested and booked into Oconto County Jail on October 11, where she remains in custody.
In Oconto County, she faces additional felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of narcotic drugs, and bail jumping, along with misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Chelsea is scheduled to appear in court on November 4 and November 7 to face these charges.
This latest incident is part of a history of trouble between Rosie and Chelsea. Adopted as a baby by Rosie and her ex-wife Kelli Carpenter, Chelsea made headlines in 2015 when she ran away from home at 17. After being found a week later, she moved to Wisconsin to live with her birth mother, leading to a period of estrangement from Rosie.
Chelsea is now a mother to four young children: Skylar Rose, Riley, Avery Lynn, and Atlas, born between December 2018 and October 2023.
Rosie, who has five children in total, has been open about the legal trouble her family has often faced.
“This is not new for our family,” the O’Donnell family statement admitted.