Rosie's Nasty Remarks Revealed

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the meanest of them all?

Former Queen of Nice Rosie O'Donnell once told a cancer survivor who worked her defunct magazine that liars "get cancer."

The tasteless jab was revealed Wednesday during tearful testimony from the former employee in the ongoing court battle between self-professed "über-bitch" O'Donnell and Gruner + Jahr USA, onetime publisher of her eponymous magazine.

Both parties are suing in dueling breach-of-contract suits.

Former Rosie marketing exec Cindy Spengler sobbed as the told the courtroom she had tried unsuccessfully to bridge the divide between O'Donnell and the suits at G+J.

Squabbling over editorial control is attributed to the magazine's demise in September 2002, when O'Donnell bailed on her namesake publication only a year and a half after it hit newsstands.

According to Spengler's testimony, the cancer remarks were made after a conference call among her, O'Donnell, editor-in-chief Susan Toepfer and G+J CEO Dan Brewster to discuss the magazine's problems.

O'Donnell confronted Spengler about her silence during the meeting, insisting she was as good as lying by keeping quiet. "You know what happens to people who lie," the witness quoted O'Donnell as saying. "They get sick and they get cancer. If they keep lying, they get it again."

Spengler, a breast cancer survivor, says she quizzed O'Donnell, "Your mother died of breast cancer. Was she lying?"

"Yes," O'Donnell replied, according to the marketing exec.

During a break in the trial, O'Donnell told reporters she had called Spengler the next morning and apologized.

"I'm sorry I hurt her the way I did," said the former daytime diva. "That was not my intention."

After O'Donnell's departure from the magazine, Spengler admitted to sending an email on October 1, 2002 to Toepfer that suggested "we do our own little 'ding dong the witch is dead' song and dance" over Rosie's absence.

Toepfer's email response revealed she wanted to move into O'Donnell's vacated office and "take out the bad vibes?I think you're supposed to burn sage in all the corners," read the message.

Gurner + Jahr slapped a $100 million lawsuit against O'Donnell for leaving; she responded with a $125 million countersuit, alleging she had been shut out of the editorial process.

On Wednesday, O'Donnell's attorney presented parts of her contract with G+J that stated she had control over the editorial process and editorial staff, subject to a veto by head honcho Brewster a week before the magazine went to press.

"We interpreted it [the veto rider] as having ultimate editorial control," testified Brewster.

Outside court Wednesday, O'Donnell pounced on Brewster, saying he had "threatened to ruin me, and he's trying to do it now."

The fireworks continued Thursday as O'Donnell took the stand to testify. On her way into the courtroom, the erstwhile talk-show host gave a thumbs-up and told reporters, "My name is Rosie O'Donnell. I know what I stand for, I own the name I created it. I will always own the name."

During her testimony, O'Donnell said she wanted to follow the lead of Oprah Winfrey and create a magazine similar to O, that would translate her TV show into print.

She says she met twice with Brewster. "Mr. Brewster was quite passionate about the Democratic ideals I had espoused on my show," O'Donnell said.

"He said I would add a much-needed voice to the world of women's magazines. He convinced me [to do the magazine]."

O'Donnell again said that Brewster assured her she would have creative control over the magazine and he would handle the finances.

She'll resume her testimony Friday.