Chelsea Belle O'Donnell, the daughter of American talk show host and actress Rosie O’Donnell, was sentenced to six years of probation following three consecutive arrests on felony drug charges on March 31.
Chelsea received a two-year sentence for each of the three guilty counts, with the probationary period to be served in Oconto County, Wisconsin. If she breaks any of the probation conditions, she could be sent to prison.
As reported by People on March 31, Rosie O’Donnell's 27-year-old daughter has entered a guilty plea to the charges of methamphetamine possession, bail jumping, and resisting or obstructing an officer. Despite being read during the February plea hearing, the other charges against her were dropped.
Chelsea was also charged with two separate offenses in Marinette County. However, those cases were consolidated and resolved through a plea agreement.
Rosie O’Donnell's daughter has been charged with drug and other charges
Chelsea Belle O'Donnell was born on September 20, 1997. She was adopted as a newborn by Rosie O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter. There was a rift between the actress and her daughter, but as per People's March 13 report, they had started to get back in touch after Chelsea's boyfriend, Jacob Bourassa, posted a photo of a sonogram on Facebook the previous day.
In December 2018, Chelsea gave birth to Skylar Rose, a daughter. When the comedian became a first-time grandparent, she was ecstatic. Chelsea now has four children: in January 2021, she welcomed daughter Riley, in February 2022, daughter Avery Lynn, and in October 2023, son Atlas.
Recently, however, the comedian's daughter was arrested three times in Wisconsin between September and December. Her first arrest was on September 10 on multiple felony charges, including methamphetamine possession and child maltreatment.
After posting bail and being freed, she was arrested again a month later on additional felony charges, including possession of methamphetamine, refusing or obstructing an officer, and bail jumping.
On October 19, following her second arrest, Rosie O’Donnell shared a post on Instagram that included a picture of Chelsea cuddling her infant and wrote:
"Sadly this is not new for our family - Chelsea has struggled with drug addiction for a decade - we r all hopeful she will find her way out of this deadly disease... #love #alanon 10.19.24."
Chelsea appeared in court in Wisconsin on Monday, March 31, in connection with her third arrest in November, facing similar charges, including methamphetamine possession, bail jumping, and possession of narcotics.
On Instagram on December 3, Rosie O’Donnell confirmed her third arrest, posting:
“After being bailed out by her birth mother — Chelsea was arrested again — and is facing many charges related to her drug addiction — we all hope she is able to get the help she needs to turn her life around."
According to court documents obtained by People Magazine, Chelsea was given the opportunity to appeal her sentence and received a 33-day credit for her jail time. As per the same People report, her misdemeanor charges of narcotics possession and drug paraphernalia were both dropped.
According to court documents, Judge James Morrison issued and postponed jail and prison terms, which would only be served in the event of probation violations.
Rosie O’Donnell's daughter is also required to adhere to all guidelines established in her Marinette County cases. These include absolute sobriety, no possession of alcohol or any other controlled substance without a valid prescription, no contact with known drug users or sellers, and no ownership or possession of firearms.
Additionally, Chelsea must finish a comprehensive mental health evaluation and get a high school diploma or GED. She is prohibited from entering bars or taverns, subject to the rules of the drug treatment court, and not allowed to possess any opiate-based prescriptions.
As of now, Rosie O'Donnell has not made any statements regarding her daughter's recent sentencing.