Rosie O’Donnell sometimes rewatches her infamous clash with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View to remind herself what the on-air fight felt like.
Ex-The View host Rosie O’Donnell
The 64-year-old comedienne had a heated exchange with 49-year-old TV personality Elisabeth over the George W. Bush administration’s policies regarding the Iraq War on the ABC talk show in May 2007, and their heated exchange played out on a split-screen shot.
PEOPLE magazine asked Rosie: “Who is your most and least favourite co-host during the time on The View?”, and she replied: “Listen, it’s known that me and Elisabeth Hasselbeck did not have a great ending to our friendship, so I would say that was the most problematic, perhaps.
“But we did get along right up until the end, and then it blew up on national TV. Sometimes I watch that one.”
After Rosie admitted she “can’t watch” the interview she did with her idol, 84-year-old music legend Barbra Streisand in 1997, which still makes her cry, the actress added: “But if the Elisabeth Hasselbeck fight is on, I’m like, ‘Let me try to remember what this felt like.’ You know?”
Rosie revealed 83-year-old comedienne Joy Behar as her top co-host on The View.
She explained: “My favourite probably is Behar. I like Joy Behar. We did stand up together for many years, and she used to call me ‘Little One,’ because I was a young comic in my 20’s.”
Rosie would be up for guest hosting The View in the future.
The Tarzan star said: “Next season is the 30th anniversary, and Ana Navarro mentioned that when I did her podcast recently. I think that I would, and just be a guest.
“I do think that for me, it’s not the best use of my time or talent to be arguing about politics with people, just in general, as a form of entertainment. It’s not where I shine the most.
“But I am a very patriotic American. I love this country.”
In October 2025, Rosie, who was a host on The View from 2006 until 2007 before briefly returning in 2014 and 2015, alleged that the production decision to have the split-screen during her and Elisabeth’s bust-up had been planned in advance, which the latter strongly disagrees with.
Appearing on the Australian radio show Ricki-Lee, Tim, and Joel, Rosie claimed: “Our producer [was] not an on-the-fly kind of guy. He wasn’t like, ‘Mr. Let’s-Go-To-a-Split-Screen.’ That was prepared. The whole thing, I think, was a setup.”
Last month, Rosie admitted she is “still annoyed” about The View’s producers having switched to a split-screen shot showing her and Elisabeth arguing.
Appearing on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the 58-year-old host asked Rosie: “Are you still annoyed that the director went to the split screen?”
The Flintstones alum replied: “Yeah, I’m still annoyed. Believe me. Mommy knows how to hold a grudge.”
