This is not a good year for Rosie O’Donnell.
The outspoken television personality left The View to focus on her health and her children. But now her way of raising her children is being questioned as O’Donnell’s estranged wife filed for custody of their daughter.
Michelle Rounds is petitioning a New York court to be granted full custody of the couple’s 2-year-old daughter Dakota over concerns of her welfare.
#RosieODonnell ‘s ex files for sole custody: “[Rosie] leaves the baby overnight with nannies.” http://t.co/PNeiJPzuHW pic.twitter.com/Ckowsbfr8H
— EntertainmentTonight (@etnow) April 29, 2015
This latest development in the increasingly bitter divorce between O’Donnell and Rounds has been confirmed by her lawyer, William D. London in a statement.
“My client Michelle Rounds has decided to start proceedings for sole custody of their daughter Dakota, since it is unequivocally in their child’s best interest and general welfare.”
The IT headhunter claims that she wants her daughter to have “a normal life” but that’s something that won’t happen if she’s in O’Donnell’s care.
“Right now she has 24/7 nannies over there at Rosie’s house,” Rounds discloses during an Entertainment Tonight interview.”I don’t want my child to have a nanny. I want her to be outside playing, I want to be with her. I want to go to all the parent conferences … and that’s just not what it’s about over there.”
She also added that their different ideas on parenting have always been a source of tension.
Reps for the 53-year-old O’Donnell have refuted the claims and insist that this is Rounds’ “absurd and desperate attempt to use a child for her own gain.” Rounds, a self-described entrepreneur, also addressed insinuations that she was after O’Donnell’s money.
“I made my first million before the age of 39, that was before I met Rosie. I don’t need Rosie’s money,” Rounds insisted “I don’t want Rosie’s money. The prenup money means nothing to me.”
She also said that she’s willing to walk away from the prenup as long as she gets full custody. The warring duo met at a Starbucks in 2011 and got married in 2012. O’Donnell, a longtime advocate of gay marriage and gay adoption, and Rounds adopted their daughter Dakota in 2013. They separated last November after three years of marriage.
O’Donnell has made no comment about Rounds’ petition aside from posting a photo of Dakota raising her hand with the caption “excuse me – do I get a vote?”
In the meantime, Rounds has been seen out and about with model Carmen Ortega on the night she filed for full custody of her daughter.
Rosie O’Donnell’s Ex Michelle Rounds — Looks Like Someone Is Trying to Make Rosie Jealous… http://t.co/oOaThxw0N7 pic.twitter.com/UTNstDnlKQ
— Global Ent. News (@GlobalEntNews) April 29, 2015
[Image via YouTube]
