‘The View’ On-Air Fight That Caused 1 Host to Leave After Just 9 Months
The View has historically had hosts who have reacted to one another’s comments with heated responses. However, only one on-air spat in the show’s history caused one host to leave after only nine months on the daytime talk series. Who left, and what was the heated debate about?
Rosie O’Donnell exited the series in 2007 after less than one year
As moderator of The View, Rosie O’Donnell spearheaded many of the show’s Hot Topics. She was responsible for ushering in each new table discussion as moderator for panelists Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, and Elisabeth Hasselback.
However, during one discussion where O’Donnell shared her feelings regarding President George W. Bush’s involvement in the Iraq War, Hasselback fired back. She defended the then-leader of the United States.
The political debate turned into a full-fledged heated argument after O’Donnell said Hasselback didn’t defend her against those in the media who interpreted O’Donnell’s anti-war criticisms as equating U.S. troops to terrorists.
Hasselbeck responded: “I just don’t understand why it’s my fault if people spin words you put out there or phrases that suggest things. And I gave you an opportunity two days ago to clarify the statement that got you in trouble on all those things.”
Their heated commentary went back and forth for almost 10 unbearable minutes. The women were ultimately featured on a split screen by producers before Behar stepped in and asked for the debate to be over. She blasted producers, saying, “Is there no commercial on this show? What are we on — PBS?”
O’Donnell’s View contract expired in mid-June. But she left the show two days later, three weeks ahead of schedule, after the segment aired live on the morning talk series.
Joy Behar said the fight between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback was ‘below the belt’
In an interview with CNN, Joy Behar reflected on the fight between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback. She claimed the commentary was “below the belt.”
“To say that Rosie spit in the face of the military. I want Elisabeth to explain herself, really,” Behar said in 2016.
“What did she mean about that? And isn’t that kind of a nasty thing to say about somebody,” she continued.
“Say what you want about Rosie O’Donnell. But she’s a good person. Her son was at the Citadel. What more did Elisabeth want?” Behar clarified.
Sherri Shepherd says that iconic moment ‘cemented’ her place as a ‘View’ co-host
In 2007, a spot as a permanent co-host was open on The View. Sherri Shepherd and Kathy Griffin were both vying for the spot. However, Shepherd says how she handled the situation the day of O’Donnell and Hasselback’s fight “cemented” her place on the daytime series.
She discussed the moment on the Behind the Table podcast, as reported by ABC. “What cemented me coming on was Rosie O’Donnell got into it with Elisabeth Hasselbeck,” she told Hostin.
“They gave Kathy Griffin the Friday and me Thursday. So we each had a day, and all the stuff happened on Thursday.”
Shepherd believes she was chosen because after the heated debate, “so many people wanted to interview me, and I said, ‘No, that’s the family business. I’m not doing any interviews.'”
“I think that impressed Barbara Walters and [then executive producer] Bill Geddie,” Shepherd concluded. “So I got the job of the co-host.”
The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. EST on ABC.
Elements of the story were first reported by Us Weekly.
