ROSIE O'DONNELL EXITING THE VIEW

After a short but tempestuous stint as co-host of ABC chat show The View, controversial comedienne will be making her exit from the show in June. According to the network, they have been unable to reach a contract extension with the outspoken O'Donnell. However, many entertainment industry insiders say that, following at least a half-dozen highly publicized incidents of going over the top, Rosie's recent April 23 gig as emcee of the The Matrix awards, where she continued her feud with using sexually explicit language that made her View co-host and producer hide her face in her hands, was the final straw.In a statement released on ABC's web site, Rosie explains her reasons for leaving the show:This has been an amazing experience, and one I wouldn't have traded for the world. Working with Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth has been one of the highlights of my career, but my needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me. To all the viewers out there, I just want to say 'thank you' for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year. But you can always find me at rosie.com. Here's hoping there's more confetti for all of us going forward.Photo: WireImage