ROSIE O’DONNELL is still deeply in love with her ex-wife Kelli Carpenter – and that’s why the talk-show host recently broke up with her girlfriend of the last year, Texas artist Tracy Kachtick-Anders, sources say.
"The bottom line is that Tracy could never measure up to Kelli in Rosie’s mind," a friend of Rosie’s told The ENQUIRER.
"Rosie placed Kelli on such a high pedestal that Tracy could never meet her expectations. Lord knows Tracy tried.
"But Rosie was always nitpicking, saying things like, ‘Well, Kelli would do this’ or ‘Kelli would do that.’
"It drove a wedge between them."
The pair met through Rosie’s Internet blog, where mother-of-six Tracy offered to trade artwork with Rosie, 48.
"Rosie thought she was over Kelli by the time she met Tracy, but she wasn’t," said the source. "She simply couldn’t admit it to herself."
Rosie and Kelli legally married in San Francisco in 2004 and have four children: Parker, 15, Chelsea, 13, Blake, 11, and Vivienne, 8. The couple split in 2007.
When Rosie hooked up with Tracy, 46, the Texas painter brought along her own brood of six, who range in age from 6 to 18, and all have special needs.
Rosie jokingly called the newly blended family of 10 kids and two moms "The Gay-dy Bunch." But the women were never able to successfully complete the daunting task of merging their two households.
"Rosie and Tracy never officially lived under one roof," said a rep for Rosie. "They have lived near one another for quite some time, and their families still socialize and they see each other frequently."
And that’s the biggest tragedy that’s come from the breakup, said the source.
"Tracy’s kids are very fragile emotionally and, in some cases, physically.
"Some were in and out of foster homes or came from abusive situations.
"Her youngest son, Wyatt, is her only birth child, and he was born with Down syndrome. He’s also had heart and lung problems.
"To Rosie’s credit, she loved them like her own. She’s offered to help take care of them, even though she and Tracy are no longer together.
"But the split is still hard on the kids. The breakup has placed a good deal of stress on them. It’s a very sad situation."
Despite Rosie’s continued love for Kelli, there is no indication the pair are getting back together romantically, even though they see each other around their children.
Kelli reportedly has moved on and has dated other women.
