Rosie Opens Up On Relationship With Kelli, Comments On Oprah Gay Rumors

Updated 11:00 PM EST, Mon, Oct 26, 2009

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In a candid new interview on "The Howard Stern Show," Rosie O'Donnell opened up publicly for the first time about her relationship troubles with partner Kelli Carpenter, took aim at "Late Show" host David Letterman and talked about TV talk queen Oprah Winfrey and the gay rumors.

During her interview on Howard's Sirius XM show, the shock jock asked Rosie about why rumors exist that Oprah Winfrey could be gay.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Oprah Winfrey

"I don't know. I think she's never been married and she's exceptionally close to Gayle [King]," Rosie, who was promoting her own Sirius XM show, "Rosie Radio," which stars next Monday, said. "I don't know that she and Gayle are necessarily doing each other but I think they are the emotional equivalent of…"

"A gay couple," Howard chimed in.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Gay & Lesbian Hollywood

"When they did that road trip, that's as gay as it gets," Rosie said. "And I don't mean it to be an insult either. I'm just saying, listen, if you ask me, that's the couple."

Oprah and Gayle have long denied the rumors.

As far as her own personal life, Rosie also spoke openly about her the recent reports of a split with longtime partner Kelli.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Rosie O'Donnell

"We're working things out," Rosie noted. "We're trying."

Rosie said she and her partner of 12 years, both of them loving parents to their four children, are making some big decisions presently.

"We have come to a point where we are seeing [if] what will make everyone happiest is maybe to not live together, but continue to parent," Rosie told Howard. "We have different styles of living. I'm very messy. She's very not."

"I thought you two we're going to make it," Howard's sidekick, Robin Quivers, said.

"I did too, honey," Rosie replied.

During the interview, Rosie seemed to suggest she and Kelli are at a crossroads.

"I don't know that we're going to be together," she said. "I think we're working through what's best for all of us."

Rosie and Kelli married in San Francisco in February 2004, but their marriage was nullified by the state. After talking about their marriage ceremony, which was held alongside dozens of other gay couples over five years ago, Rosie said, while she and Kelli are not legally married, they and their children are a family.

"We've been together for 12 years and a family is a family is a family," she said. "Kelli and I are working through a lot of stuff that we have and the children are the priority and we both continue to parent them and we will continue to parent them and you don't know what the future holds. I have to say I never expected to be in this position and I don't think she did either."

Another revelation from Rosie's time with Howard? Years ago, she had a chance to hook up with Angelina Jolie before Billy Bob Thornton and Brad Pitt.

"She… gave me her phone number and we talked on the phone two or three times, but that was that," Rosie revealed.

"There was a tentative plan to have dinner that never came through," Rosie added. "I was a little afraid of her. She's scary in a sexual kind of way. I have dreams about her a lot still."

And Rosie also chimed in on David Letterman's admitted affairs.

"Having been the Rosie O'Donnell of 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' it would be easy to do that to any intern at any time," she said. "And I think it's a gross abuse of power."

Was Rosie out of line suggesting Oprah could be gay? Vote in the AH Nation poll by clicking HERE.

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