Rosie O'Donnell and Lyle Menendez Are Unlikely Friends — How Did This Happen?

When it comes to strange bedfellows, several examples can be found in Hollywood. In particular, we are referring to celebrities who have chosen to advocate for the release of incarcerated individuals. Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, along with Johnny Depp and Natalie Maines of The Chicks, helped raise awareness about the West Memphis 3. Following a plea deal that involved Alford pleas, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were released in August 2011 after serving 18 years.

In the world of true crime, there are several prominent cases that have captured the interest of those both in and outside the genre. One of them is the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons, Erik and Lyle. The brothers were first arrested in March 1990 and sentenced to life without parole six years later. They now stand a chance of being released from prison. Could an unlikely friendship with comic Rosie O'Donnell help their cause? Here's what we know.

Back in 1996, Rosie appeared on the Larry King Live show where she spoke about the allegations made by Erik and Lyle against their father. The Menendez brothers allege they were sexually abused by Jose, and claimed they kill their parents in self-defense. Rosie told Larry that she believed they were molested and according to The New York Times, received a letter from Lyle following the broadcast.

Lyle thanked the comic for her support and said he knew that she understood better than most what they had been through. Rosie has been public about the fact that she and her sisters were sexually abused by their father. Despite this connection, Rosie didn't respond to Lyle's letter. It wasn't until 2022 that she got involved with the Menendez brothers story. That's when she watched a documentary about Erik and Lyle, and took to TikTok to advocate for their release.

In her TikToks, Rosie doubled down on the fact that she believed the Menendez brothers were sexually abused by Jose. Around this time, Lyle's now-estranged wife Rebecca Sneed contacted Rosie to see if she was interested in speaking with him. Their first conversation was lengthy, lasting two or three hours. "Then he started calling me on a regular basis from the tablet phone thing they have," she told The Times.

Lyle told her everything about his life in prison, and what he had been doing since he was incarcerated. Rosie recalled feeling like this was the first time she could trust and love a straight man. Although her friends would frequently remind her that Lyle and his brother were murderers, that didn't align with her experience.

The first time she visited him, Rosie was greeted by Labrador retrievers who sat with inmates at the prison. This was part of a program where prisoners were able to "train and place dogs with the blind, disabled veterans and autistic children, which is run by the program Guide Dogs of America," reported The Times. Rosie's son Clay is autistic, which prompted Lyle to suggest she get a dog for him. A year later, they were approved. "I noticed the difference in Clay immediately," she said.