Rosie O’Donnell gets a crazy check from Oprah; talks new love

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Rosie O’Donnell’s big return to television comes Monday in the form of ‘The Rosie Show’ for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network -- but the time slot came with a little mental health check from the boss.

When first approached by Winfrey come back to the small screen, O’Donnell invited the daytime queen to her home for a four-hour meeting. After they decided to work together, O’Donnell asked Oprah, ‘Tell me the truth, did you come here to see if I was insane?’

‘She said, ‘A little bit,’’ O’Donnell told ‘Nightline.’

Glad they cleared that up! O’Donnell has been on a considerable media tour hyping the 7 p.m. nightly program, on which she’ll interview celebs, highlight musical acts and button up each broadcast with a mini game show.

In addition to the new job, O’Donnell has a new love in her life: New York-based executive Michelle Rounds.

‘I thought she was a 28-year-old heterosexual girl, because that’s what she looked like to me,’ O’Donnell said of their summer meet-cute at a Starbucks.

‘She’s a 40-year-old gay woman ... . I think that if I would have known she was gay I wouldn’t have been brave enough to talk to her.’

Check out more of O’Donnell’s ‘Nightline’ chat below.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly