What Happened Between Mariah Carey And Rosie O'Donnell?
Highlights
- Mariah Carey and Rosie O'Donnell have a close friendship and connection, as they both grew up in the same neighborhood.
- After Carey gave birth to her twins, she became a brand ambassador for Jenny and opened up to O'Donnell about her weight loss, difficult pregnancy, and health issues. O'Donnell also underwent weight loss surgery.
Mariah Carey dominated the 90s. She had a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in every year of the decade. Her songwriting has earned her a place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and she has developed a loyal group of fans around the world.
In the 90s, Rosie O'Donnell was taking over television airwaves with her daytime talk show The Rosie O'Donnell Show. It became the go-to show for artists and other celebrities. Carey was among O'Donnell's many guests. She would stop by the show frequently over the years.
Carey and O'Donnell actually have a lot in common as we would find out from their many interviews together.
Rosie Grew Up In The Same Neighborhood As Mariah And Knew Her As A Little Girl
In 1997, Carey was beginning to embark on a new chapter in her professional and personal life. She had recently separated from her husband Tommy Mottola. Mottola was also the head of Sony Music, the record company she was signed to.
Carey has said that she felt controlled personally and professionally during her marriage to Mottola. After their separation, she released her album "Butterfly" and promoted the release on The Rosie O'Donnell Show.
Carey performed "My All," a track from the album that had not been released as a single yet. During her interview with O'Donnell, Carey said there was a debate at the record company about what the next single would be. She said "My All" was the song she wanted to release.
Carey ended up getting her way and the song became her 13th number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
O'Donnell also took this opportunity to share a surprising connection she had with Carey. O'Donnell told Carey that they both lived in Centerport, an area of Long Island in New York. O'Donnell said that she used to walk her teacher's kids to school in the morning and saw Carey at the bus stop when she was a little girl.
"You were this beautiful little baby," O'Donnell told Carey. "I said 'Who is that girl?' And my friend Pat, who was my teacher, said, 'Her name is Mariah. Isn't that a pretty name?'"
O'Donnell opened up about her connection with this teacher in a 2022 interview with The New Yorker.
"I got a tremendous amount of love from the teachers in my life," O'Donnell said. "One of them, Pat Maravel, really took me in and mothered me. She died a few years ago of breast cancer, as well as my mom. My first mom died of breast cancer [when I was ten years old]."
Mariah Defends Herself After Rosie Calls Her Award Show Dress 'Trampy'
Since Carey felt controlled during her marriage to Mottola, the "Butterfly" album gave her a chance to spread her wings creatively. Carey was expanding her musical horizons and incorporating different styles than she did prior. She was stepping outside the pop realm so many people were used to.
"It really does, for me, represent freedom and also emancipation," Carey told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022. "I know that’s a different era, different album, but there are many different interpretations of the symbol of a butterfly. It’s all about going through something and coming out on the other side freer, that’s what it really represents to me."
Carey also began dressing differently with the "Butterfly" album. Carey has said this wasn't a transformation, but rather her being more herself. According to Carey, her fashion sense prior to getting famous was similar to how she dressed after "Butterfly." However, since the public only knew the girl-next-door look she was given, it seemed like a major image change.
Not everyone was happy about it, either. Many felt Carey wore outfits that were too revealing. Case in point, when Carey appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in 2000, the host referred to Carey's dress at the American Music Awards as "trampy."
Carey began to defend herself and explained that she wanted to be free after the looks that were chosen for her during the early part of her career. She also pointed out the double standard female artists face, since nobody had a problem with the male artists who wore tank tops or took their shirts off.
Later in the interview, O'Donnell said she felt bad about the "trampy dress" comment.
"I shouldn't have said 'trampy outfit,'" O'Donnell told Carey, "'cause it's not right."
Mariah And Rosie Reconnect After Mariah Gives Birth To Her Twins
Following the birth of her twins in 2011, Carey was named as the "brand ambassador" for Jenny, formerly known as Jenny Craig. The move came after a difficult pregnancy for Carey, where she experienced a large weight gain as well as a number of health issues.
According to Carey, her experience with Jenny helped her lose 30 pounds.
"Two-thirds of the country is placing themselves at risk for heart disease and diabetes," Carey said in a statement. "Largely, that is due to unhealthy eating patterns and lack of physical activity. I obtained a greater understanding of this when I was pregnant with my twins and dealing with my own health issues. That's why I feel so strongly about working with Jenny and the American Heart Association to help Americans get serious about their health as it pertains to these issues which are so important."
During this time, Carey also made an appearance on O'Donnell's short-lived talk show on OWN. Carey opened up to O'Donnell about her weight loss, difficult pregnancy, and health problems related to her pregnancy. O'Donnell is someone who also struggled with weight and could relate to much of what Carey talked about.
In 2013, O'Donnell underwent a vertical sleeve gastric surgery following a heart attack she suffered the year before. O'Donnell said the surgery was advised by her doctors. O'Donnell's weight dropped to 176 pounds from a high of 240 after the surgery.
"Believe it or not, that surgery changed my life," O'Donnell told People in 2015.
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