Rosie O’Donnell Says ABC Blocked Her From Having Jeffrey Epstein Survivors on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’: ‘They Were Certain That Could Not Happen’

Rosie O'Donnell, comedian and talk show host, claims she was prevented from interviewing Jeffrey Epstein child sex abuse survivors during her week-long stint on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! show. O'Donnell temporarily replaced Kimmel for a full week of shows last month, and took the opportunity to mock former President Donald Trump and other powerful men who allegedly visited Epstein's island retreat to sexually abuse young girls.

O'Donnell expressed her frustration on The Jann Arden Podcast, stating that she had planned to interview several Epstein survivors during her final night on the show. However, she claims that her segment was halted by ABC, allegedly due to pressure from the Trump administration. O'Donnell planned to have the infamous sex trafficker's victims appear on the show, but was told that it could not happen.

She recorded an Instagram video featuring herself and the women, dressed in white, singing Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman." O'Donnell, a long-time advocate for sexual abuse survivors, called former Trump personal lawyer and attorney general Todd Blanche "corrupt," echoing a group of survivors' July statement criticizing Blanche for ignoring their claims and publishing personal information of several survivors while shielding the identities of the men accused of abusing them. Neither ABC nor Jimmy Kimmel Live! have responded to O'Donnell's claim.