Rosie O’Donnell is finally setting the record straight on one of The View’s most explosive on-air moments — her infamous 2007 argument with Elisabeth Hasselbeck that left daytime television audiences stunned and ultimately led to her early exit from the show.

In a candid new interview, Rosie claims she was “set up” by The View producers during that heated segment, saying the confrontation wasn’t spontaneous at all — but rather orchestrated behind the scenes to create drama and boost ratings.

Rosie recalled the intense moment that aired live across America — a shouting match that went viral long before social media made such clips ubiquitous. “People think that fight just happened out o

f nowhere,” she said. “But what they don’t realize is that it was engineered. It was a setup. They wanted fireworks — and they got them.”

According to O’Donnell, tensions had already been running high between her and Hasselbeck, who represented sharply opposing political viewpoints on the show. “We were two people with completely different worldviews,” Rosie explained. “That was fine — that’s what the show was built on. But that day, it wasn’t just a debate. It was a trap.”

The explosive exchange began after Rosie criticized the Iraq War, prompting Hasselbeck to accuse her of calling U.S. troops “terrorists.” The remark lit a fire on set — and across the country. “It was brutal,” Rosie admitted. “I was emotional, but I wasn’t expecting the producers to turn it into something that big. They split the screen — that was the moment I knew I’d been set up.”

She revealed that the now-iconic split-screen shot — showing both women arguing simultaneously — wasn’t a creative decision made in the heat of the moment but a premeditated one by the control room. “That’s not something they usually did on The View,” Rosie explained. “They had to make that choice consciously. And they did it knowing it would escalate things. It made the fight look like a boxing match.”

Rosie said she felt blindsided and betrayed by the production team. “I was there thinking we were having a conversation, a passionate debate — and then suddenly, I realized they were producing a spectacle,” she recalled. “They wanted ratings, and I was the cost.”

In the aftermath, headlines dominated the entertainment news cycle for days, painting Rosie as volatile and difficult to work with. “It was devastating,” she said. “I was labeled the villain. I felt like I’d been thrown to the wolves. And nobody behind the scenes stepped up to say, ‘Hey, this wasn’t all on her.’”

The backlash eventually led Rosie to leave The View before the end of her contract, citing the emotional toll of the controversy. “I didn’t want to be part of something that valued chaos over truth,” she said. “I had joined the show to bring perspective and humor — not to be manipulated for shock value.”

Looking back now, Rosie says she sees the moment as a clear example of how television can exploit real emotions for ratings. “That fight became part of TV history, but it wasn’t authentic in the way people think,” she said. “It was engineered. Producers knew exactly what they were doing — stirring the pot, letting it boil, and then sitting back to watch.”

Interestingly, Rosie also said that her relationship with Hasselbeck wasn’t entirely destroyed by the confrontation — though it was deeply strained for years. “Elisabeth and I were different in every way,” she admitted. “But I never hated her. I was hurt, yes, because she didn’t see how I was being cornered in that moment. But hate? No. I think we were both being used by a machine bigger than us.”

Hasselbeck, for her part, has previously spoken about the incident, calling it one of the most emotional moments of her career. While she hasn’t responded to Rosie’s latest claims, their argument remains one of The View’s most talked-about moments — a flashpoint in daytime TV history that changed the show’s tone for years to come.

Rosie also reflected on how that experience changed her relationship with the media industry as a whole. “That was when I learned how ruthless it could be,” she said. “People love conflict. They love watching women fight — especially strong women with opinions. It’s ratings gold. But it’s also deeply damaging.”

She went on to reveal that the incident had a lasting emotional impact on her. “For a long time, I blamed myself,” Rosie confessed. “I thought I should’ve handled it differently, stayed calmer. But now I see — it was never about what I said. It was about the narrative they wanted to tell.”

Since leaving The View, Rosie O’Donnell has rebuilt her life and career on her own terms, focusing on acting, activism, and her family. Yet she admits that the shadow of that on-air confrontation still follows her. “People still bring it up — even after all these years,” she said. “It’s like it’s frozen in time. But I’ve made peace with it. I know what really happened, and that’s enough.”

She also shared that she’s forgiven those involved — even the producers who orchestrated the moment. “I don’t hold hate in my heart,” she said. “I just wish we could have been honest about what happened. I think people deserve to know the truth — not just the drama.”

Rosie ended her reflection on a note of self-awareness and resilience. “That day taught me a lot about trust and boundaries,” she said. “You can be passionate, outspoken, even controversial — but never forget that, in TV, someone’s always deciding what story gets told. And sometimes, that story isn’t yours.”

Eighteen years later, the argument between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck still lives on in TV infamy. But for Rosie, finally sharing her truth feels like reclaiming her voice. “I’m not ashamed of what happened anymore,” she said firmly. “I was honest, I was real — and I was manipulated. But I survived it. And that, to me, is the real story.”