Rosie O'Donnell Getting View Veto Power?

Get the scoop on what The View may give Rosie O'Donnell for her return to the talk show

By Kristin Dos Santos, Chris Harnick Jul 09, 2014 5:26 PMTags
 Rosie O'Donnell Mike Pont/Getty Images

Rosie O'Donnell's (likely) return to The View is already making headlines, despite the fact the comedian and talk show veteran has yet to sign on the dotted line.

Sources close to the situation confirmed it's in Rosie's contract (as of now) that she has approval over any potential co-host The View may tap. So far, just Whoopi Goldberg is returning to the talk show for season 18. However, despite what Page Six is reporting, there's nothing specifically in there about no reality-show vets, according to individuals with knowledge of the negotiations.

Speculation immediately began about Rosie's return after The View cleaned house—save for Whoopi—and Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy's View departures were announced. Barbara Walters, who created the series and remains on as an executive producer, retired from hosting duties in May.

Rosie served on The View panel during season 10 as the moderator, but left after an on-screen argument with cohost Elisabeth Hasslebeck. Hasslebeck has since left The View and called into her Fox News series, Fox and Friends, from her vacation to discuss Rosie's return to The View.

"What could ruin a vacation more than to hear news like this?" Hasselbeck asked Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. "I know Rosie very well. We worked quite closely. Talk about not securing the border! Here in comes to The View the very woman who spit in the face of our military, spit in the face of her own network, and really in the face of a person who stood by her and had civilized debates for the time that she was there, coming back with a bunch of control ready to regain a seat at the View table."

All former View co-hosts came together to celebrate Walters during her final days as a View host, and Hasslebeck claims Rosie had her return planned since then. "Rosie herself told me, on-set, while we were mic'ed up, that she produced the reunion show to have everybody together and it was her idea. Now, would you think that the woman who left in the way that she did would be producing Barbara's goodbye show? Here's the shocker: It was actually her hello show," she said on Fox & Friends.

No deal has been officially signed yet, a source maintains, but it's close.