Rosie O’Donnell has confirmed she has moved from the United States to Ireland, where she is in the process of taking up citizenship.

“The people here are so loving, kind and welcoming. I’m very grateful,” O’Donnell said, while adding she missed the rest of her family and friends back in the U.S. Her news, conveyed during a nine-minute TikTok video, mentioned the challenges of navigating a new country.

At the same time, O’Donnell made it clear crossing the Atlantic to find a new home was prompted by the current U.S. political climate, with Donald Trump recently returning to the White House for the start of his second term. While not naming the U.S. president directly after years of being a critic of his politics, O’Donnell stated: “It has been heartbreaking to see what is happening over there politically and hard for me personally as well.

“When you know it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back,” the Emmy-winning star told her fans and followers as she made the move with her 12-year-old daughter, Clay, and her service dog, Kuma.

O’Donnell added fears of TikTok “going away” and concerns about the U.S. media not standing up to an assault on press freedoms. “The mainstream media has been letting us all down in America, where the fourth estate is required to maintain a democracy. They haven’t been doing their job,” she argued.

“Here’s hoping they will get better before it’s too late, and here’s hoping it’s not too late already,” O’Donnell added. She also called on Americans to take their own political stand.

“I encourage everyone to stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country, and not a king and not a man and we don’t have cruelty as part of our governing style,” O’Donnell said.

The Emmy-winning star finished off by asking her fans and social media followers to take care of themselves. “Protect your sanity as much as you can, and try not to swim in the chaos, if possible. But I know it’s nearly impossible when you’re there in the middle of it,” O’Donnell said.