The Observer ran into Rosie O’Donnell at Cyndi Lauper’s second annual Home for the Holidays benefit for LGBT youth at The Beacon Theatre last week. One of Ms. Lauper’s closest friends, Ms. O’Donnell was dressed as her usual self, in a grey-white blend woolen jacket, loose black pants and brown clogs, although she told The Observer she might have to reassess her attire for New Year’s. Last year Ms. O’Donnell was famously turned away by security at P-Diddy’s Ciroc party in Miami. “I will be in Miami as usual,” she said. “And last year we got kicked out of the P-Diddy party, we weren’t dressed right and they didn’t know who we were and who are we really? This year we’re going to rent tuxedos and evening gowns so we’re not going to get kicked out.”
Though Ms. O’Donnell is recovering from a heart attack she suffered in August (she was playing Angry Birds as it happened and thought it was just gas), she says she might have a couple of things lined-up for 2013. In particular, she admitted to being in talks to take over for Sharon Osbourne at the judge’s table on America’s Got Talent, alongside nemesis-turned-pal Howard Stern.
Just yesterday, O’Donnell would only allow that “she would definitely consider it,” if offered, as she told The Huffington Post in an item reporting that Ms. O’Donnell was Mr. Stern’s favored choice. She sounded much more bullish on the idea when she spoke to The Observer last week, however. “Next year there are some things on the horizon,” she said. “I am very interested in doing America’s Got Talent with Howard Stern and I am talking to them. Let’s see how that works.”
Asked what kind of judge she would be, she replied, “I think I’d probably be nicer than most but I think I’d be honest. I think he [Stern] is a genius, so to work with him would be a thrill for me.”
