Rosie O'Donnell Remembers Her Late Mother Who Died of Breast Cancer: 'Still Hard to Believe'

Fifty years after losing her mother, Rosie O'Donnell paid tribute to the woman who brought her into this world with an emotional Instagram post. Rosie lost her mother at ten due to breast cancer, which changed her life forever.

American comedian Rosie O'Donnell recently commemorated the 50th death anniversary of her mother, Roseann Murtha, on Instagram.

Rosie shared a throwback photo of Murtha smiling while surrounded by her kids. In the caption, Rosie admitted it was still difficult to believe her mom had passed away.

"The View" host received several supportive messages on her post, including one from actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth. "Today is always the hard day, [I] know. [In] the meantime, she is proud of you," Chenoweth wrote.

Rosie was only ten when her mother died of breast cancer in March 1973. It was a tragic event that left her heartbroken and devastated that she tried running away from elementary school. After getting help from cops, her brother safely got her home.

It also didn't help that Rosie had a strained relationship with her father after Murtha's death. In a 2012 interview, she revealed her father had a difficult childhood and grew up an alcoholic and abusive dad.

Following Murtha's death, Rosie and her siblings were left under his care. Sadly, he never received help to deal with his issues.

On the other hand, Rosie received support and guidance from her then-teacher, Pat Maravel. As Rosie recalled, Maravel loved her unconditionally and became like a second mother.

Although life became different, Rosie used her mother's death as a source of motivation. She knows she is blessed for living more years than her mother did. Rosie said:

"I think since I was ten years old, I've known that your life can be over before it really begins, so you had better take full advantage of every moment you have."

Rosie is now a mother and knows the challenges of caring for a family while building a career. She became a first-time mom in 1995 when she adopted Parker O'Donnell with her then-partner, Kelli Carpenter.

In 1997, the pair welcomed another child, Chelsea O'Donnell, followed by Blake O'Donnell two years later. They had another daughter in 2002, Vivienne O'Donnell, born through artificial insemination.

Although Rosie and Carpenter tied the knot, they eventually called it quits in 2007. Rosie remarried Michelle Rounds in 2012 and adopted an adorable daughter, Dakota O'Donnell.

Unfortunately, motherhood was not always a bed of roses for Rosie O'Donnell, who has had a strained relationship with her two daughters for a long time. One of them, Michelle O'Donnell, revealed her mother was not the same woman at home as many thought she was.