Getty Rosie O'Donnell and Michelle Rounds attend the opening night of "The Real Thing" on Broadway at American Airlines Theatre on October 30, 2014 in New York City.
Rosie O’Donnell’s ex-wife, Michelle Rounds, died on Monday from an apparent suicide, according to TMZ.
The outlet reports O’Donnell as saying, “I am saddened to hear about this terrible tragedy. Mental illness is a very serious issue affecting many families. My thoughts and prayers go out to Michelle’s family, her wife and their child.”
Here’s what we know:
1. Rounds Made Headlines in 2015 for Another Reported Suicide Attempt
Rosie O’Donnell’s estranged wife Michelle Rounds ‘attempted suicide’: Rosie O’Donnell’s ex Michelle Rounds was… http://t.co/kZPBJjnzdn
In 2015, Rounds was found alone in a hotel room near Nyack and was immediately rushed to the hospital. TMZ reported that she’d overdosed on pills after threatening to end her life. “We’re told Rosie got wind of Michelle’s plan, called her and tried talking her out of it. Rosie got someone to call 911 as she stayed on the phone with Michelle.”
Law enforcement relayed to TMZ that Michelle was rushed to the hospital at approximately 11:15pm on a Tuesday. Sources claimed that the “trigger” for Michelle was child custody: “Sources tell us Michelle lost custody of their 2-year-old daughter to Rosie, and that sent her over the edge.”
2. She Was Married to O’Donnell from 2012-2015
Michelle Rounds and Rosie O’Donnell attend Escape To Total Rewards at Union Station on March 1, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment)
O’Donnell and Rounds began dating in 2011. They were married in a private ceremony in New York on June 9, 2012. The couple separated in 2015.
The divorce was finalized in March 2016– more than a year after they separated. According to E! Online, O’Donnell initially filed for divorce in February 2015, citing an “an irretrievably broken relationship” as the reason for the split.
When the divorce settlement was reached, O’Donnell said, “It’s done. We’ve settled. We’re both very happy about the outcome.”
3. Rounds & O’Donnell Have One Adopted Daughter Together
Together, Rounds and O’Donnell adopted one child, a girl named Dakota. After O’Donnell filed for divorce, she was awarded full custody of Dakota, who was two at the time.
https://twitter.com/top99news/status/603250780104105984
Last March, O’Donnell discussed Dakota’s autism diagnosis in response to a criticism to her own video, in which she claimed Barron Trump is on the autism spectrum. According to The Advocate, O’Donnell responded to criticism of her video by saying that she wishes no “ill will” towards Trump’s children– rather, she wants to “raise awareness about an issue that affects her family and found the video to be very ‘educational and informational.'”
4. Her Linked-In States She Was a Nursing Student
Rosie O’Donnell and Michelle Rounds attend the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City.
Rounds’ Linked In shows that she was training as a nursing student.
According to a 2011 People article, she was formerly a recruiter for a New York based IT company called Vertex Solutions and graduated from State University of New Paltz in 1993.
5. Rounds Said In An Interview She Was ‘Much Happier’ After The Divorce
In a 2015 interview with ET, Rounds was asked how she was doing after the divorce. She said:
As far as being much happier– I am so much happier. Being out of that chaotic environment that I was in. And hostile environment. And I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Rounds also discussed the custody dispute between she and O’Donnell over their daughter Dakota. In the interview, Rounds explained that she thought having sole custody of Dakota would be in the best interest of the child. “The prenup money means nothing to me. I will away from the prenup if it means I get full custody.”