Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Famous Hollywood Director for Telling Her to Lose 20 Pounds: 'I Wish I Could Have Enjoyed the Size I Was'

Rosie O'Donnell opened up about one specific moment from her early Hollywood career.

In an exclusive conversation with People, the comedian and actress recalled being told by a well-known film director that she needed to lose 20 pounds.

She confessed, "It’s very strange to just buy a pair of jeans that fit. When I would do late-night, my biggest concern wasn’t my set—it was, did I look fat? On League of Their Own, [director] Penny Marshall didn’t help by saying, ‘Rosie, I want you to lose 20 lbs.’ I’m like, ‘You think I carry it around for fun, Penny?’ When I look back, I go, ‘God, I wish I could have enjoyed the size I was.' I’m now at that same weight. But I feel much healthier, more powerful in my own physicality."

During the same interview, O'Donnell shared that "Mounjaro changed my life. I couldn’t even pronounce it at first. I started three years ago when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was stunned at how it quieted the food noise."

"I’ve had trouble with my weight my whole life. I know the shame and humiliation dealt to people who are overweight. My kids would come home from trick-or-treating with pillowcases full of candy and hide it. Smart children. I’d wake up at 3 in the morning and go, ‘There’s a Nestlé’s Crunch bar somewhere.’ I couldn’t help myself," she added.

After the weight loss, O'Donnell shared she "had a lot of excess skin," which prompted her to get a facelift.

"It made me look sad. People in Ireland said, 'Rosie, are you all right, love?' I’m like, 'It’s my face. I actually feel happy here.' I didn’t want my face to be frozen. I had to wrestle with myself because as a feminist I always felt this is the male gaze and not anything I believe in. Clay said, 'Mommy, girls look up to you. What does your legacy stand for if you do this?' I changed my mind for six months and then decided the real power of feminism [is] to decide what we want to do with our bodies and when," she continued to say.

Right now, the comedian is focused on her one-woman show "Common Knowledge," which opens at New York City’s Daryl Roth Theatre on July 22.

The production combines comedy with heartfelt stories that cover her childhood grief, her career, and her life in Dublin, Ireland, with her youngest child, Clay.