After what has been a controversial stay to say the least, Rosie O'Donnell has asked to be released from her contract with The View.
In just 8 months, Rosie O'Donnell has brought ABC's The View from mediocre ratings to a star-studded event. Her controversial and outspoken manner turned what used to be a fading daytime talk show into the talk of the town. Feuds with Donald Trump dominated the gossip columns and it wasn't long before the ratings began to skyrocket. There's been talk that Rosie would leave the show in June, unable "to come to a new contract agreement", but the media speculated on whether her departure would really come to light.
But now, after a nasty bout with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck on Wednesday, Rosie has asked ABC to release her from her contract and ABC agreed.
Last week, O'Donnell made a statement on the show about the Iraqi war: "655,000 Iraqi civilians have died. Who are the terrorists?" Critics immediately lashed out at O'Donnell, suggesting that she was calling U.S. Troops "terrorists". O'Donnell fired back at Hasselbeck for not speaking out in Rosie's defense. Barbara Walters, the show's creator, says that she fully appreciates the contributions that Rosie has made to The View and that "our close and affectionate relationship will not change".
