Celebrity News April 25, 2007
Donald Trump: Rosie Got Fired Because of Me
"I've decided that we couldn't come to terms with my deal with ABC, so next year I'm not going to be on 'The View,'" Rosie revealed on air during Wednesday morning's chat fest.
"Extra" has learned that just hours before the announcement was made, Rosie and Joy joked about the big news on her video blog.
"There's a big announcement, everybody's here so early," Joy said.
During the show, Rosie said she and the ABC Network couldn't come to terms on her deal.
After the big news rocked the television world, "Extra" went one on one with the man who is taking credit for Rosie's departure: none other than Ro's arch nemesis, Donald Trump.
"ABC, I strongly believe, just said 'Rosie, you're fired,'" Trump told us. "And I'm very proud to tell you I did predict it."
"We've never seen, in the history of TV, anyone behave the way Rosie O'Donnell has behaved. No one!" added Bill O'Reilly.
So what's the real story behind Rosie's departure?
"Extra" caught wind that Rosie is being courted for her own talk show, after turbo-charging the ratings for "The View" and bringing in more than 500,000 viewers!
But was she too hot for ABC to handle?
"They are not kicking me out, don't worry," Rosie promised Wednesday morning.
There is also speculation that Ro's departure is due to her latest tirade at the Matrix Awards just two days ago, where O'Donnell made an X-rated dump on Trump.
While we may never know what Rosie and ABC privately discussed, Rosie revealed on her website that Barbara has known since last Thursday that she intended on leaving "The View."
In fact, Walters said on the show, "I would like to make one thing perfectly clear; I do not participate in the negotiations for Rosie's. It's ABC daytime."
So who will replace Rosie? Frequent guest host Sherri Shepherd is a fan favorite on a list that also includes Carrie Ann Inaba and Susan Lucci.
As the Rosie news continues to unfold, you can be sure that "Extra" will keep you posted on all the latest!