Rosie O'Donnell Warns David Ellison's CNN Takeover Would Be 'Tragic': 'This Bari Weiss Person, I Don't Know How She Can Live With Herself'
Rosie O'Donnell warned that David Ellison's pending CNN takeover could be 'tragic' for the network.
Aug. 18 2026, Published 2:36 p.m. ET
Rosie O'Donnell has returned to the talk-show desk and she had plenty to say about the state of television, Donald Trump and David Ellison's media empire, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In a new interview, O'Donnell sounded the alarm over Ellison's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, warning that CNN could face a troubling future under his ownership.
A Surprise Return to Late Night
Rosie O'Donnell returned to the late-night desk as a guest host of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
O'Donnell stepped in for Jimmy Kimmel during the week of August 17 while the late-night host was on vacation. He reportedly chose O'Donnell as a "special treat" for Trump, who has maintained a decades-long feud with the comedian.
The booking came as a surprise to O'Donnell, who admitted she had never even appeared as a guest on Kimmel's show.
"We've never spoken on the phone; we've texted a few times," O'Donnell recalled to Variety, describing their past relationship as "adversarial."
Their relationship had shifted after Kimmel's uncle, Frank Potenza, died. O'Donnell reached out to the television personality following the loss, and the pair eventually connected.
"When my publicist called and said, 'Do you want to guest-host 'Kimmel' for a week?' I said, 'I haven't ever even been a guest!'" she explained.
Rosie O'Donnell Defended Jimmy Kimmel
Rosie O'Donnell defended Jimmy Kimmel and his First Amendment right.
O'Donnell said she accepted the opportunity partly because she wanted to stand behind Kimmel as he faced continued pressure over his political commentary.
"I support (Kimmel) in what he's doing with the First Amendment, and our ability as entertainers and citizens to speak out against our government," she said."And I wish that Stephen Colbert had the same kind of support when it happened to him, because he shouldn't be gone either."
'It's Tragic'
Rosie O'Donnell raised concerns about David Ellison's pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
O'Donnell then turned her attention to Ellison's pending takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, which would place CNN under the Paramount Skydance owner’s corporate umbrella.
"It would be like Fox taking over all news channels. Imagine if Fox was not one outlier and Fox was the mainstay?" O'Donnell said. "That's what's happening with Hollywood now and the Ellisons, and it's tragic."
"Look at what's happened to CBS News and '60 Minutes,' which was the gold star of their entire network, and they blew it up," she claimed.
Rosie O'Donnell Also Took Aim at Bari Weiss
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Rosie O'Donnell also criticized Bari Weiss.
O'Donnell was particularly critical of Bari Weiss, who had been brought into CBS News under Ellison's ownership.
"This Bari Weiss person, I don't know how she can live with herself," O'Donnell said.
She then argued that those aligning themselves with powerful figures would ultimately face scrutiny from history.
"There are people who are sidling up to him, and history will record all of their names, what they did, and who they stood next to," O'Donnell added.
