Celebrity Snit: Rosie O'Donnell Pulls the Plug on Her Magazine
By MATTHEW ROSE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
As harried staffers tried to finish upcoming issues of Rosie magazine this summer, Rosie O'Donnell pinned a note outside her office that showed how the thrill of a start-up was wearing thin. It read: "ANY QUESTIONS (LEGAL) Please CALL MARY JO WHITE," Ms. O'Donnell's lawyer and a former U.S. attorney.
It might have been a joke, reflecting the rising tensions between Ms. O'Donnell and Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing, but no one was laughing Wednesday. After 18 months of publishing and three months of bitter wrangling, Ms. O'Donnell pulled the plug on her joint venture with the Bertelsmann AG unit, which publishes the magazine.
In one of the clearest examples of the pitfalls of celebrity publishing, Ms. O'Donnell and her publisher wrangled over almost every facet of Rosie, including who should be the editor, who should appear on the cover and whether or not Ms. O'Donnell's friends and family should be featured in the magazine.
That the title was heading for an implosion had been apparent for some time. In one of many e-mails Ms. O'Donnell sent to Gruner + Jahr executives in mid-June, listing problems numbered one through 26, No. 24 was: "I assume the magazine will fold."
The December issue will be its last. Gruner + Jahr is considering remaking the magazine -- which began life as the venerable McCall's -- under a different name targeting a similar female audience. Before the launch of Rosie, the German publisher had tested a serious women's magazine called Friday aimed at the 35-to-45 age group, and the company is considering reviving elements of that concept to replace Rosie.
On one level, executives at the publisher were relieved that the magazine won't limp onward in its dysfunctional state. But Ms. O'Donnell's decision to walk away won't likely end the battle. Gruner + Jahr is considering legal options to seek severance costs or other damages and has been collecting fodder for a suit since the fighting began.
Rosie, which was launched in Spring 2001, was part of Mr. Brewster's attempt to revitalize Gruner + Jahr, long a second-tier player in the U.S. market. An attempt by Gruner + Jahr to become a big player in business magazines was also scaled back.