Update: Rumors Fly Over Rosie's View Departure!
On Wednesday, Rosie O'Donnell told The View's audience that she would not be coming back full-time next season because she could not reach an agreement with ABC Daytime over her contract. Rosie simply said she wanted to sign up for one more year but that ABC wanted a three year committment. But there is speculation that there is more at play.
According to The New York Post, Rosie left because she wanted Barbara Walter's job as the co-executive producer of The View. Insiders tell the Post that Rosie wanted to take over the show and give Barbara the boot. "They're talking [publicly] about how they couldn't come to terms ... but ... her leaving had nothing to do with that," said one insider.
Meanwhile, The Daily News is humming a different tune. O'Donnell demanded $10 million to return for just one year, a source told The Daily News.
But for now, high-powered publicist Cindi Berger, the rep for both O'Donnell and Walters, is sticking by their original story — especially the part where O'Donnell was not trying to oust Waters.
"People are making things up because they want to pit two powerful women against each other," Berger told the Post. "Rosie just did not want to commit to three years."
