Rosie O’Donnell once found herself on the radar of Bill Gates’ research team for a surprisingly personal reason. The billionaire’s team reportedly contacted the talk show host repeatedly during the 1990s, hoping to test whether she was on the autism spectrum.
The unusual requests came while O’Donnell was establishing herself as a talk show host.
Rosie O’Donnell reveals Bill Gates’ team wanted to test her for autism
O’Donnell discussed the bizarre experience during an appearance on Good Hang With Amy Poehler. Poehler asked whether O’Donnell might be neurodivergent based on how she processed and retained information.
O’Donnell then remembered Gates’ autism research from decades earlier. She said his team contacted her “every few months” during the first year of her show.
“You know, when I was first on my show, Bill Gates was doing a large study in the ’90s at the University of Seattle. about autism,” O’Donnell said during the conversation. “This is back when there wasn’t all that much research going on.”
She recalled the researchers repeatedly asking, “We really would like to test you.”
O’Donnell believed her unusual memory played a role in their interest. She could remember countless song lyrics and even entire television commercials.
That talent remained intact years later. During the conversation, she demonstrated that she could still recite a Primatene Mist commercial from memory.
“There’s no reason, Amy!” O’Donnell said after finishing the commercial. “That I have that stuck in my head.”
Poehler noted that O’Donnell appeared to process emotional information differently. O’Donnell agreed and connected that perspective to her experience raising her autistic child.
The actress and host said the experience had changed how she understood herself. She also credited her child with teaching her important lessons about patience and self-reflection.
“I think that, you know, my autistic child has taught me patience and introspection, to be more introspective about my own stuff going on,” O’Donnell said.
Her comments offered a glimpse into an experience that happened long before conversations about neurodivergence became as common.
The Bill Gates connection also added an unexpected twist to O’Donnell’s story. What began as researchers repeatedly asking to study her ultimately became something she remembered decades later.
And judging by that commercial performance, her memory remained remarkably sharp.
TELL US – WOULD YOU HAVE AGREED TO BILL GATES’ AUTISM STUDY IF HIS TEAM HAD CONTACTED YOU?
