Full Breakdown
Rosie O'Donnell Says Bill Gates’ Team Repeatedly Asked Her to Take an Autism Test
8/23/2026, 1:45:07 AM
O'Donnell’s Account of the Gates Outreach
Rosie O'Donnell told comedian Amy Poehler on the *Good Hang* podcast that representatives of Bill Gates’ foundation contacted her “every few months” during the first year of her television show. She said the calls were requests for her to participate in an autism-screening study that Gates was funding at the University of Seattle.
Background of the Gates-Funded Study
At the time of the alleged outreach, Bill Gates was financing a large research project on autism at the University of Seattle. According to O'Donnell, the study was in its early stages, with limited existing research on neurodivergent populations, especially among high-profile individuals. She suggested that Gates’ team viewed her as a potential “white whale” for identifying neurodivergent celebrities, hoping her participation would draw attention to the project.
Details of the Contact
O'Donnell recalled that the outreach began early in her show’s run and continued for about a year. She said the team’s messages were consistent, each emphasizing a desire to test her for autism. The repeated nature of the calls, she implied, stemmed from the scarcity of research participants at the time.
