Kelli Carpenter-O'Donnell

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Kelli Carpenter-O'Donnell (born May 24, 1967) is a former Nickelodeon marketing executive and co-founder of R Family Vacations. Her life partner is actress and former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell.[1]

Kelli and Rosie were introduced by Rosie's brother Daniel in 1997. On February 26, 2004, Kelli entered into a union with Rosie in San Francisco, two weeks after mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, which was later determined to be illegal under California law. The reason why Rosie hosted 8 of the 21 Kids' Choice Awards is because Kelli being a Nickelodeon executive and Rosie were dating.

Rosie and Kelli are parents to adopted children Parker Jaren (born May 25, 1995), Chelsea Belle (born September 20, 1997), and Blake Christopher (born December 5, 1999). Vivienne Rose was born November 29, 2002 to Kelli and Rosie through sperm donation.

Rosie and Kelli currently operate R Family Vacations, a travel company geared towards gay and lesbian families. A documentary film about the maiden cruise that set sail on July 11, 2004, was a look inside the lives of some of the 500 families that cruised from New York to the Bahamas. The documentary, All Aboard: Rosie's Family Cruise, debuted on HBO on April 6, 2006, and is now available on DVD. The film was nominated for three Emmy Awards.

The O'Donnell family now divides its time between homes in South Nyack, New York, and Miami, Florida.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 20/20 Interview with Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell

[edit] External links