Rosie O’Donnell has never been shy about sharing personal details about her life and career, but one surprising revelation involves her longtime crush on Tom Cruise. The comedian and TV personality recently recalled how some people were shocked to learn that she was a lesbian, due to her public admiration of the movie star.
Rosie O’Donnell’s infatuation with Tom Cruise dated back to the mid-’90s, when she frequently talked about her crush on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and even referred to him as “my Tommy.” The two have forged a friendship over the years, with the actor leaning into the bit.
In a recent interview, however, O’Donnell shared that some were “shocked” when she came out as a lesbian in 2002. They cited her longtime admiration for Cruise, which the host said they interpreted as her wanting to sleep with him.
“I often said, ‘I don’t want him in bed. I want him to mow my lawn and bring me an iced tea.’ Like that’s what I said. And I didn’t know how much clearer I could be,” O’Donnell told Amy Poehler on the “Good Hang” podcast.
Tom Cruise Acknowledged The TV Host’s Crush
Cruise made a few guest appearances on O’Donnell’s show. In his first guest appearance to promote the movie “Jerry Maguire,” the actor brought her a bouquet of flowers, acknowledged her admiration of him, and even kissed her on the cheek.
O’Donnell openly admitted she had a crush on him and asked, “Does it scare you a little bit?” Laughing, Cruise said he didn’t mind. The host also asked whether Nicole Kidman, whom the actor was married to at that time, knew about her crush.
The host said she didn’t want to break up Cruise and Kidman’s marriage; she was merely “infatuated” with him and wanted the actor to live in her house.
Cruise did a few more appearances before “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” concluded in 2002 after six seasons.
Rosie O’Donnell Still Gets Cards And Gifts From The Actor
O’Donnell and Cruise forged a friendship over the years, and in 2021, the TV personality revealed that the actor has not missed greeting her on her birthday.
She admitted that she doesn’t agree with his beliefs in Scientology and wasn’t close enough to the actor to discuss it, but described him as a “classy” man.
“He is the only person who never misses my birthday. In knowing him for 25 years now, he has never missed my birthday or an event in my life,” O’Donnell said. While some people noted that a secretary may have been sending gifts and cards on the actor’s behalf, O’Donnell thinks otherwise. “I don’t believe that. I think he knows in early March, ‘Oh, it’s Rosie’s birthday coming up,’ and he sends me something,” she said on “The Jess Cagle Show.”
In December 2025, O’Donnell shared a photo of a card she received from the actor for the holidays. She also previously shared that she had received the famous coconut cake that Cruise sends to his celebrity friends.
Elsewhere in the interview with Poehler, O’Donnell revealed her latest crush, Sydney James Harcourt, whom she previously referred to as her “new Tom Cruise.” “A woman’s needs change as she gets older,” she said.
Harcourt, a theater actor, played Rum Tum Tugger on Broadway’s “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” which the comedian recently watched.
“He is the sexiest human I’ve ever seen and so unbearably talented,” she told Poehler, adding that she felt like “a little schoolgirl” when Harcourt approached her and sang.
Despite the admiration, O’Donnell is still a lesbian. “I still have those feelings but it doesn’t translate into, ‘I would like to be sexually intimate with you.’ Doesn’t go there. Trust me on that,” she said.
Rosie O’Donnell Is Considering A Return To The U.S.
O’Donnell has been traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Ireland in the past few months. She relocated to Ireland in January 2025 with her youngest child due to the political climate, per The Blast.
In July, O’Donnell shared that she is contemplating a move back to the U.S. to be closer to her family. Her son, Blake, welcomed a child in March, and the host wants to purchase a home in New Jersey near her children to have a place to stay whenever she’s in the country. However, she is still unsure whether the move would be permanent.
