Elisabeth Hasselbeck talks THAT ‘ugly’ explosive 2007 argument with Rosie O’Donnell on The View

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The biggest and most famous disagreement in the history of The View happened when Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O’Donnell had a very public and heated argument, shown side-by-side on screen.

Kelly Hasselbeck, 48, is now sharing details about a heated argument with Rosie O’Donnell, 63, on their morning talk show, an argument that sadly ended their friendship.

Hasselbeck, a conservative on The View panel who broke out as a star on Survivor in 2001, and O’Donnell infamously fought on television over the Iraq War. 

Kelly Hasselbeck recently talked about the event on The View’s podcast, Behind The Table. She described the memorable split-screen moment as a turning point that decided who would continue with the show.

Honestly, that day was really tough – not one of my favorites, if I’m being real. But looking back now, with a little more life experience, I realize I’d probably handle things the same way all over again. It just was what it was, and I stand by how I navigated it.

The former reality star did maintain that she would not have changed anything about the argument.

Looking back, I probably could have tried to stay a little calmer, but honestly, I was just so fired up about the whole thing. I really cared deeply, and it was hard to hold back my emotions.

I’m proud to have represented the military and glad this program gave me the opportunity to share my feelings. It’s a difficult and unpleasant situation to witness.

Hasselbeck acknowledged the intense argument was difficult for her and damaged her friendship with O’Donnell, which had previously been amicable.

She said she spent the rest of the day crying. She believes the situation caused a painful and lasting break in their relationship, and she doesn’t think it was worth the damage. Ultimately, she feels people are meant to be united, not divided.

I believe people aren’t meant to be in conflict or disagreement. We’re meant to be united and connected. Even when we don’t share the same perspective, I value understanding where others are coming from. I appreciate hearing different viewpoints and still maintaining kindness and love.

Okay, so it totally changed everything for her, which is… amazing, honestly. She actually said that whole crazy fight is what got her the job at Fox News! I mean, can you believe it? It’s like, all the drama actually worked for her, and now she’s where she is. It’s just… incredible. I knew she was destined for greatness!

Hasselbeck explained that her hiring at Fox was directly due to an impression she made on Roger Ailes. He apparently told her, ‘I liked what I saw, you’re hired!’

This isn’t the first time their on-air disagreement has been discussed recently. Back in October, Hasselbeck strongly defended herself against claims that their well-known 2007 argument on the show was intentionally created by producers.

On October 9, the TV star used her Instagram Stories – which have since disappeared – to respond to the comedian.

Rosie O’Donnell recently stated in an interview on the Ricki Lee and Tim Joel radio show that a heated argument she had with co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck back in 2007 was supposedly planned by the producers of The View.

O’Donnell believes that Bill Geddie, the producer of The View at the time (who passed away in 2023 at age 68), was a meticulous planner and wouldn’t have risked letting such a carefully arranged segment happen randomly.

According to O’Donnell, the segment wasn’t spontaneous. She stated that the producer wasn’t someone who would improvise, like suddenly deciding to use a split-screen. Everything, she believes, was planned in advance and the whole situation was a setup.

Days later, Hasselbeck responded emotionally on social media, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, asking O’Donnell to stop spreading what she considered to be false information.

Hasselbeck continued: ‘And even maybe if you don’t stop, I still forgive you.

You could be so much happier, Rosie, if you just stopped. Stop all the drama, stop being dishonest, and allow yourself to be free.

The reality star later added, “I sincerely hope you can overcome whatever is making you hurt others.”

I’ve been following this story closely, and it’s frustrating that Rosie O’Donnell’s team hasn’t responded to the Daily Mail’s requests for a statement. What’s even more telling is that ‘The View’ completely declined to comment on the situation – they wouldn’t say anything at all. It just adds to the mystery, honestly.

The disagreement between O’Donnell and Hasselbeck brought up something the comedian had said previously.

During a 2007 episode of The View, Joy Behar asked a pointed question: “With 655,000 Iraqi civilians dead, who are the terrorists?” She then posed a hypothetical: “If the United States, a wealthy and powerful nation, invaded your country and killed hundreds of thousands of your people, what would you call us?”

O’Donnell’s use of the word ‘terrorists’ immediately drew criticism from commentators across the political spectrum, from the right to the center. However, she responded by saying her critics were misinterpreting her statement.

During the May 23rd episode of The View, Rosie O’Donnell publicly criticized her co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck for not speaking up in her defense.

The actress turned to Hasselbeck and, in front of everyone, asked if she thought the actress considered soldiers to be terrorists.

Okay, so Elise was saying that she didn’t actually think Rosie thought our troops were terrorists, which is… good, I guess? But then she told Rosie to, like, stand by what she implied! It was so weird! Basically, ‘If you’re going to suggest something awful, you better be ready to own it,’ she said. I just… I can’t with this drama, but I’m totally glued to the TV!

During a disagreement, O’Donnell attempted to emphasize her friendly relationship with Hasselbeck while also criticizing her for not defending her. Hasselbeck responded by saying she wouldn’t be responsible for clarifying O’Donnell’s own opinions, stating, ‘Those are your thoughts to explain.’

Co-hosts Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd tried to tone down the argument, to no avail.

In a recent interview, O’Donnell shared that she was upset by how Hasselbeck reportedly acted behind the scenes and during their televised disagreement, especially because she believed they had become good friends.

O’Donnell expressed disbelief, saying she couldn’t understand how this woman would treat her this way, especially considering her initial commitment to the job. She had decided from the start to approach the woman as a person, not an adversary, and had hoped for the same in return.

She visited my home, used my pool, and even brought her child. I went above and beyond for her, taking her child to see Sesame Street Live and attending her first Broadway show. I really did everything I could to help her, she said.

Rosie O’Donnell’s time on The View was briefer than that of some of her colleagues. She first joined the show as its moderator in 2006 and stayed for a year, then returned for another season from 2014 to 2015.

Hasselbeck remained on the series for a decade, from 2003 to 2013.

But ever after the two women were done with The View, they continued to feud in the public eye.

In a 2019 interview with Ramin Setoodeh for his book Ladies Who Punch, Rosie O’Donnell revealed she used to have a small crush on Elisabeth Hasselbeck, but clarified it wasn’t romantic or sexual.

She claimed that Hasselbeck’s experience as a softball team captain at Boston College hinted at lesbianism.

O’Donnell remarked that, from her experience, most girls with exceptional athletic ability who compete in sports typically dominated by men are, at least to some degree, attracted to other women.

Hasselbeck later told Fox & Friends that she found O’Donnell’s remarks ‘offensive and upsetting’.

She felt the speaker unfairly stereotyped female athletes by suggesting they are all somewhat lesbian. She considered this a selfish and inaccurate generalization.

On X, formerly Twitter, O’Donnell responded by saying she remembered a time before things turned sour, and insisted she never treated him disrespectfully. She acknowledged she once thought he was wonderful – recalling times they spent at Broadway shows and by her pool – and said they used to be friends. She ended with a message of affection, saying she always liked him.

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2026-03-06 01:39