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Rosie O'Donnell is embracing a new stage of life after losing 60 pounds and undergoing a facelift, changes she says have transformed both her health and confidence.
The comedian revealed she began using the diabetes medication Mounjaro three years ago after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. "Mounjaro changed my life," she told PEOPLE.
"I was stunned at how it quieted the food noise. I've had trouble with my weight my whole life." She recalled how her children once hid Halloween candy from her, knowing she would search for it late at night.
Her weight loss brought unexpected joys, like buying jeans that fit without worry. "When I would do late-night, my biggest concern wasn't my set. It was, 'Did I look fat?'" she admitted. Now, at the same weight she once struggled with, O'Donnell says she feels "much healthier, more powerful in my own physicality."
The transformation also led her to address excess skin around her chin, which she felt made her "look sad." After wrestling with the decision, she opted for a facelift earlier this year. "I didn't want my face to be frozen," she explained.
"As a feminist I always felt this is the male gaze and not anything I believe in. But the real power of feminism [is] to decide what we want to do with our bodies and when."
She chose to be candid about the procedure, even revealing its steep cost: "So why do I look like this? $90,000. I was worried about the cost. I don't like to waste money. I would never spend that on a car."
Now living part-time in Ireland and enjoying time with her children and grandchildren, O'Donnell says she feels liberated at 64. "It's glorious. When you're 40 or 30, you're worried all the time—am I doing it right? Now I don't really care."
