Rosie O'Donnell & Kelli Carpenter

.Who are Rosie O'Donnell & Kelli Carpenter?

Rosie O'Donnell is a comedian, talk show host, actress and lesbian mom activist. Her partner is Kelli Carpenter and together they run a cruise line for GLBT families called R Family Vacations.

How did they meet?

Rosie and Kelli met in 1998. They were set up on their first date and went to a small restaurant in New York City called Joe Allen's. In an interview with The Advocate Kelli says she was hesitant to go on the date because she was wary of Rosie's fame. But "Then we talked, and she was one of the smartest people I've ever spoken to."

Marriage

Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell were married in San Francisco on February 26, 2004 during the brief time when San Francisco was allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Part of the reason they married was because they were not able to use "spousal privilege" in Rosie's lawsuit with her former magazine publisher. "We applied for spousal privilege and were denied it by the state. As a result, everything that I said to Kelli, every letter that I wrote her, every e-mail, every correspondence and conversation was entered into the record," O'Donnell said. "After the trial, I am now and will forever be a total proponent of gay marriage."

Children

Rosie and Kelli have four children, three adopted and one that Kelli gave birth to. Their names are Parker, Chelsea, Blake and Vivienne.

R Family Vacations

In 2006 Rosie, Kelli and Gregg Kaminsky founded R Family Vacations, and launched it with a cruise. HBO made a documentary of the trip All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise.

Rosie O'Donnell & Kelli Carpenter Love Quotes

When asked what first attracted her to Kelli, Rosie said, "Look at her! It was her eyes! When I met her, I thought, Oh, my God, look at those green eyes!...And she was smart and fun and adorable."

Asked how they keep their love alive, they answered, "Date nights." Rosie says, "Believe me, four children, it's hard. You have to work to keep your relationship vibrant and alive."

Kelli said, "Getting married meant so much more to me emotionally than ever thought it would. Rosie and I have been together for over six years and now have four children, so we made the decision to go to San Francisco in order to make a political statement. I was not prepared for how moved I would be during the vows and the power of saying them out loud."