Yes, Rosie O’Donnell is leaving The View. Yes, again.
But despite rumors of a feud between O’Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg – as well as overall chatter about the comedian being unhappy with her role on the talk show – Rosie says her departure is solely a personal matter.
"My doctors were noticing that there was an uptick in my numbers since I started on the show," O’Donnell, who suffered a heart attack in 2012, told People while debuting her documentary (Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Standup) at the Athena Film Festival in New York on Saturday.
After being informed in late December that her physicians were especially concerned, Rosie says she arrived at her decision.
"I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life that’s been very stressful. I have five kids, four of them teenagers, that’s a lot of my attention," she explains, adding briefly of her split from wife Michelle Rounds:
"Michelle and I are going through some hard stuff, and I can’t really fix those things right away, but I can fix this."
Since confirming her departure from The View, O’Donnell has spoken to Goldberg, Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace.
"I’ve heard from everybody since then over the weekend. Everyone cares about each other, and nobody wants anyone to do anything that’s going to affect their health. They get it. They know, and it’s okay. Not everything works out as you planned."
Will you miss Rosie O’Donnell on The View? Who do you think should take her place? Allow us to cite a few possibilities…
