She's baaaack—but did she really ever leave?!
Rosie O'Donnell returned to The View this morning, just three days after it was announced that the 52-year-old comedian is exiting the ABC morning show, her departure coming barely five months after she returned as a co-host of the long-running series.
O'Donnell, whose exit from the show and split from wife Michelle Rounds were announced simultaneously on Friday, made no mention of The View shakeup, nor did her co-hosts, when the four familiar faces took the stage, with the exception of Whoopi Goldberg, who immediately noted that Rosie had a "big weekend."
"Yeah, I had a documentary that premiered at the Athena Film Festival," O'Donnell shared, later giving the audience a sneak peek of the film—a stand-up comedy special that centers on her 2012 nearly-fatal heart attack.
The co-hosts, including Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace, then proceeded to chat about O'Donnell documentary before the conversation turned to Sunday's Grammys.
Surprised? So we were, considering there was zero mention of the giant elephant in the room: the fact that Rosie is no longer a regular View co-host.
"I can confirm that Rosie and her wife Michelle split in November," O'Donnell's rep said in a statement Friday. "Rosie has teens and an infant at home that need her attention. This has been a very stressful situation. She is putting her personal health and family first. ABC has been wonderfully understanding and supportive of her personal decision to leave The View. Next week will be her last."
The news was revealed just shortly after rumors of Perez's exit were finally put to rest following her January hiatus from the show while she rehearsed for the Broadway play Fish in the Dark. "No matter what you read anywhere, Rosie Perez is also coming back after she is done rehearsing her play," O'Donnell said last month on The View, shooting down the exit reports.
O'Donnell's brief stay on the show has been plagued by rumors that she and Whoopi were feuding bitterly behind the scenes. "There is absolutely no truth to this," O'Donnell's publicist previously told E! News of the headlines claiming the co-hosts were butting heads. "Rosie was thrilled and excited to work with Whoopi and knew Whoopi's role as moderator before she re-joined the show!!!"
As far as O'Donnell's future presence on the ABC series?
"Rosie is an immensely talented star who comes in each and every morning brimming with ideas, excitement and passion for the show. 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," ABC said in a statement obtained by E! News. "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."