It turns out that Rosie’s new book, Celebrity Detox, is about a lot more than her angst about her reentry into television and her rocky relationship with Barbara Walters on The View. This morning, Fox News reported that as a child she used to break her own bones—usually her hands or fingers—with a baseball bat or a wooden hanger.
In the book she said, “No one knew. It was a secret.” For her it was proof she “had some value, enough to be fixed.” Her self-injury followed the death of her mother, when to Rosie it seemed no one paid attention to her grief. She also adds, but doesn’t fully explain, “There were many benefits to having a cast. In the middle of the night, it was a weapon.”
Rosie’s mention of her childhood self-injury seems to be almost a small footnote at the end her short memoir, but I wonder if it’s really the bigger story. Or at least the more important one.
Already many are writing about this revelation. Some who are opposed to Rosie’s liberal views and gay lifestyle are pouncing with venomous “what did you expect” sorts of comments. I may not be a big Rosie fan, but I think this is uncalled for. No matter what our political or faith views are, we should always respond with care and patience to someone who is struggling or hurting. And I say “is” because the pain Rosie experienced as a child is still very much a part of her life today. It doesn’t just get pushed into the past.
For those who are in the Christian faith community, even those who may have avoided anything “Rosie,” I encourage you to write her a letter. But please, please don’t—unless you are willing to do so prayerfully and compassionately.
I fully agree. Great post.