Rosie O'Donnell Opens Up About Coming Out Post-9/11

Rosie O'Donnell talks about how she came out right after 9/11 on the Oct. 14 episode of "Red Table Talk: The Estefans" on FacebookWatch, Entertainment Tonight reports.

O'Donnell appears on the show along with fellow guest Michelle Rodriguez for some frank discussion with hosts Gloria Estefan and her out daughter, Emily, 25.

In an exclusive report, ET dished that O'Donnell and Estefan will talk about 9/11 just having happened with O'Donnell came out of the closet.

"O'Donnell came out during her February 2002 appearance at Caroline's Comedy Club in New York, and she tells the Estefans that the moment wasn't actually a big deal considering it happened after 9/11," ET revealed.

Saying that her disclosure didn't even result in "a blip" because of the timing, O'Donnell went on to say, "I, like you, Emily, was surprised that people thought I was not gay."

O'Donnell gave a version of how she came out on stage: "I went to a comedy club and I was doing stand-up and I'm like, 'I'm gay. Listen, 9/11 happened, I'm gay. I'm telling you all, I'm gay. In case the buildings blow up again, I'm so, so gay,' you know?"

A different exclusive at USA Today revealed another topic of discussion between O'Donnell and the Estefans: O'Donnell's disclosure that she had, at one point, dated a man for two years.

O'Donnell said that he was "a lovely, lovely, warm man," but said their relationship lacked "emotional connection". The comedian cracked that she "would find myself staying in the bathroom, popping pimples, doing everything not to get to bed."

"Red Table Talk: The Estefans" premiered on Facebook Watch Oct. 7 and, a previous ET article said, follows the same general template as the Jada Pinkett Smith "Red table Talk." with guests and hosts getting "candid about every aspect of their lives and their guests' lives.

"No topic is off limits as the women bring their own opinions and life experiences to the iconic table and to their communities," the ET article added.