Overview

• O'Donnell told Mamamia's No Filter podcast that DeGeneres' 2004 Larry King Live comment declaring they were not friends was one of the most painful moments of her career.
• She said the remark shocked her because they had known each other for decades, recalling photos of DeGeneres holding her newborns and saying she never really got over the fallout.
• O'Donnell described supporting DeGeneres during her 1997 coming-out moment by orchestrating a coded on-air exchange about being "Lebanese" so DeGeneres would not feel isolated.
• She noted she was not invited onto The Ellen DeGeneres Show until years into its run despite overlapping staff, adding that their parallel careers keep prompting questions about the rift.
• O'Donnell has previously said DeGeneres later texted, "I'm really sorry, and I don't remember that," while DeGeneres has not discussed the dispute in detail publicly beyond a July Instagram "Good for you" message after a separate political dust-up involving President Trump.