Fans of ABC’s daytime chat show The View can always count on spirited conversations among the hosts, which sometimes turn contentious. One of the show’s most infamous spats occurred when co-hosts Rosie O’Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck clashed live on air after months of tension. In a new interview with Australian radio host Joel Creasey, O’Donnell makes a bold statement about the on-air feud, pulling no punches as she shares her opinion on what happened between her and Hasselbeck—going so far as to call it a “setup.”
In the interview, O’Donnell appears calm and collected as she recounts trying to befriend her former co-host, only to feel betrayed once the cameras started rolling.
She said, “I cannot believe that this woman, after all I did for her—because when I took that job, I made one commitment to myself: that I was not going to be her enemy, that I was going to meet her as a person. And so she came to my house, she swam in my pool, she brought her little kid. I took her kid to Sesame Street Live. I took her to her first Broadway opening. I bent over backwards for this woman. And here she was coming at me on national TV about whether or not I was patriotic. It felt to me like I was on a basketball team of five women, and one of them kept tripping me on my way to the hoop.”
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Rosie O’Donnell Says Producers of ‘The View’ Set Her Up
During the infamous feud, The View producers cut to a split-screen showing both Hasselbeck and O’Donnell, intensifying the drama and the lasting vitriol. O’Donnell suggests this was all part of the producers’ plan, stating, “And then when they had the split screen—did you know that? Of course not. I looked up, and you know, our producer is not an on-the-fly kind of guy. He wasn’t like, ‘Mr. Let’s-go-to-a-split-screen.’ That was prepared. So the whole thing, I think, was a setup.”
Tensions between the conservative Hasselbeck and the more liberal-leaning O’Donnell had been brewing for months. But in one of the most soap-opera-worthy battles in the show’s history, the two passionate hosts got into an explosive argument over the Iraq War that ultimately led to the end of their working relationship.
Co-host Sherri Shepherd tried to ease the tension by joking, “This is why I like to watch Dancing With the Stars,” but the damage had already been done. Following the heated exchange, O’Donnell requested an early exit from her contract. Though the two had previously clashed over their opposing political beliefs, O’Donnell said she felt personally betrayed by Hasselbeck for not defending her to the comedian’s more conservative critics.
Social Media Reacts to Rosie O’Donnell’s Comments on ‘The View’ Fight
While fans were quick to take sides after O’Donnell’s recent comments resurfaced on social media, both her supporters and Hasselbeck’s chimed in with their thoughts.
“The older I get, the more I respect Rosie O’Donnell,” one person shared. Another added, “God forbid someone disagree with someone.”
Despite the passage of time and the fact that both hosts have long since left The View, it’s clear the wounds from one of the most divisive arguments on live television still linger.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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