What Happened Between Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck? Inside Their Infamous 2007 On-Air Feud That Rocked 'The View'

The drama between Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck is far from over.

The former The View co-hosts' long-running feud dates back to 2007, just a few months after O'Donnell replaced Meredith Vieira. They got into a fiery 10-minute argument over the Iraq War during the May 23, 2007, episode of the chat show, with O'Donnell blasting her then-co-host for saying nothing.

"That's cowardly," the comedian continued, to which Hasselbeck responded, "No, no, no. Do not call me a coward because I sit here every single day, open my heart and tell people exactly what I believe."

The episode also used a split-screen to show O'Donnell and Hasselbeck speaking at the same time during the angry confrontation.

As OK! reported, O'Donnell later announced she would be leaving the show in mid-June of 2007.

"They wanted me three years, I wanted one year, and it just didn't work," she said at the time. "I'm not going away. I'm just not going to be here every day."

Whoopi Goldberg took on moderator duties in September 2007. Though O'Donnell rejoined the panel in September 2014, she exited the program again a few months later after a disagreement backstage with Goldberg.

"Rosie is an immensely talented star who comes in each and every morning brimming with ideas, excitement and passion for the show," a spokesperson for the network shared in a statement. "When she told us that she wanted to exit The View, we respected and understood her desire to put her well-being and her family first."

The representative added, "We're delighted she's still part of the ABC family with upcoming guest appearances on The Fosters. And we know she'll return to The View often with her unique point of view and updates on her work and her family."

More than a decade later, O'Donnell claimed her 2007 feud with Hasselbeck was staged by a The View producer.

"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," she alleged during an October 2025 appearance on the "Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel" podcast.

After the interview, Hasselbeck tearfully clapped back at O'Donnell via since-expired Instagram Stories.

"And even maybe if you don't stop, I still forgive you. And it can just be so much more free, Rosie, if you can just stop. Stop the madness, stop the lying and just be free," she shared in one post, later adding, "I really hope that you can be released from whatever this is that's causing you to cause such harm."

Meanwhile, O'Donnell countered Hasselbeck's claims and said she was "full of freedom and joy" despite her longtime foe's concerns.

"Honey, this wasn't about you or your character. It was about the truth of what happened, from my perspective. That's it," she said. "Hate to tell you, I don't really think about you that much until an interviewer asks me."

O'Donnell continued, "It's not like I'm walking around going, 'God, do you think Elisabeth will ever forgive me?' I'm not. So don't worry about me or my freedom or joy, and just enjoy your life, and I'm gonna do the same."

Hasselbeck reexamined the "wild" split-screen moment on The View's companion "Behind the Table" podcast in March.

"It determined something. It determined who was coming back," she shared. "It was a stressful day. It's not a day that I love. It's a significant day because I can look back at it now with maturity and think my position would be the same."

According to Hasselbeck, she stood by her actions during the heated face-off, saying she would not change much about the exchange. She added she was proud to have spoken on behalf of the military at the time.

Following the fight, she reportedly "probably cried through the rest of the day."

"I feel like it created this awful human rift, and I'm not sure it's ever worth it for that," she continued. "I do think we're created for unity. I don't think we're created to have discord, dissension. I think we're meant to have unity and connection. Even if I can't see like you see, I like to see where you see it from. I love to get someone's point of view on something and have love anyway, in that."

After Hasselbeck returned to The View as a temporary guest co-host in March, O'Donnell addressed the possibility of rejoining the show after her past two stints.

"I did catch her on it, and would I be? I would be up to guest host, but they haven't asked me. So, we'll see what happens, but you know, listen, it's interesting," she shared on the June 18 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

She continued, "You know, it's interesting in the time of Trump, I think she's the perfect person they want on TV spouting their rhetoric, you know?"

In addition, O'Donnell said a "mommy knows how to hold a grudge" when asked if she was still frustrated by the use of the split-screen during the 2007 confrontation.