Elisabeth Hasselbeck has called out her former The View co-host Rosie O’Donnell, imploring her to “stop the madness” and “the lying” about their on-air tussle years ago.
The pair, who appeared together as panelists on the ABC daytime talk show, infamously got into a shouting match during a May 2007 episode, with O’Donnell accusing Hasselbeck of not defending her against right-wing media ire over critical comments about the Iraq war.
During a recent appearance on the Australian radio show Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel, O’Donnell reignited earlier claims that their feud was a “setup” by producers.
Hasselbeck issued a fiery, emotional response in a series of since-expired clips posted Thursday to her Instagram Story, demanding the 63-year-old A League of Their Own actor “just stop” and “be free.”
“I really hope that you can be released from whatever this is that’s causing you to cause such harm,” the Survivor alum, 48, said, per Entertainment Weekly. “And it can just be so much more free, Rosie, if you can just stop. Stop the madness, stop the lying and just be free. And even maybe if you don’t stop, I still forgive you.”
Hasselbeck also claimed that she tried calling O’Donnell because ABC made her “call and apologize” after their on-air spat, which ultimately led to O’Donnell’s initial exit from the show in May 2007. O’Donnell later returned for a brief six-month stint in 2014/2015, the year after Hasselbeck was fired from the show.
Hasselbeck said she believes O’Donnell brings up their old feud “in a way that’s personally attacking me and the integrity of our work there and my personal character.”
“I love my friends who disagree with me. I tried to call you many times and reach out to you after that, Rosie, and you don’t want repair,” she continued. “I have to go here because you won’t respond. If you want to get together and talk, let’s do it, come over and swim in my pool, come take a couple laps, come back to America and enjoy your nation. We can have an open free dialogues about what we disagree on. I’ll make you dinner, what do you want to stop the bullying?”
Hasselbeck said, “In Jesus’ name I pray the lies held over you are released and that you can feel freedom and real joy without feeling satisfaction from trying to lie about somebody and destroy their character.”
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The Independent has contacted O’Donnell’s representatives for comment.
O’Donnell is well-known for her politically liberal views. Earlier this year, she fled to Ireland to escape President Donald Trump’s second term in office. Meanwhile, Hasselbeck was a prominent conservative voice on The View from 2003 to 2013.
Her axing came during a pivotal moment for the show, with ABC executives telling her that they wanted to go in a “less political direction.”
“Feeling a dose of betrayal and a whopper of confusion, I felt like the walls of the building were folding in on me,” Hasselbeck described in her 2019 memoir, Point of View.
