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Rosie O’Donnell is looking back at life now, and then.
The comedian, 63, recently detailed having a friendship with Lyle Menendez, 57, who along with his brother Erik Menendez, 54, was convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents Kitty and Jose Menendez.
“He started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have,” O’Donnell told The New York Times on Saturday. “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.”
The brothers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1994. While discussing the crime on “Larry King Live” in 1996, the former talk show host said she believed Lyle and Erik’s claims of childhood abuse and molestation by their father and that killing their parents was an act of self-defense.
After her appearance, O’Donnell received a letter from Lyle that “thanked her for her support and stated his belief that she ‘knew’ from a personal place that what he was saying was true.”
The actress herself had experience with the subject, alleging to the outlet that “she and her siblings had been molested by their father.”
“At that point, I had not ventured anywhere near this in my family or in my therapy,” O’Donnell continued before admitting she did not write Lyle back at first.
It wasn’t until 2022 when the siblings’ case gained a new life on TikTok following a documentary, that the comic reached back out. O’Donnell explained that she heard from the prisoner’s wife, Rebecca Sneed, who contacted her to “see if she was interested in speaking with him.”
Since then, the pen pals have had consistent communication with their first phone conversation lasting more than three hours.
O’Donnell admitted that at first, their contact sparked concern among her friends. She “shrugged” at the fact that “he’s a murderer” and went forward with visiting Lyle in prison.
The “America” alum told The Times she “spent two weeks commuting daily to the prison.”
Lyle also talked O’Donnell into getting a dog for her son Clay through a prison program he was involved in. The inmates working on the project train dogs to go home with disabled veterans and autistic children.
Clay was paired with a Labrador mix that was trained by a man who was in prison for armed robbery.
“I noticed the difference in Clay immediately,” O’Donnell said of her son’s bond with the pup. “I was shocked to find out that tall the stories I heard from other mothers of autistic children were true.”
The celebrity decided to bring awareness to this program, creating the upcoming documentary “Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Autism,” which hits Hulu on April 22.
O’Donnell’s film comes on the heels of her moving to Ireland following Donald Trump’s presidential win.
“It’s been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I’m very grateful,” she said in a March TikTok video.
O’Donnell’s told viewers she is “in the process” of getting her Irish citizenship since her grandparents are from the country.
“I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that’s what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are,” she explained.
“You know, I’m happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back.”
Lyle and Erik, meanwhile, are still behind bars in the US but are now seeking a resentencing.
After 30 years behind bars, the court is scheduled to make a decision on resentencing after hearings on April 17 and 18.
Many of Lyle and Erik’s relatives showed up to the courthouse Friday to show their support during court and ask for their freedom.
“Eric and Lyle have taken full responsibility for what they did, and for decades now they continuously shown their insight, through their ashes, not just their words,” their cousin Anamaria Baralt told reporters following the hearing.
During the hearing, prosecutors claimed that the brothers have never admitted to their “lies” and have shown absolutely no remorse for their actions.
Baralt said those claims are “patently false.”
I don’t know why [prosecutors] keep repeating that. That’s just not true,” she added.