Elisabeth Hasselbeck Recounts Tumultuous Season with Rosie

Appearing on June 18's "Hannity and Colmes," "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck opened up about her rocky relationship with former co-host Rosie O’Donnell. Hasselbeck discussed Michelle Obama’s guest co-host on "The View" before the conversation moved on to Rosie.

Elisabeth exclaimed how much fun "The View" panel is today and then noted that "it was [fun] then it wasn’t, then it is now." The daytime personality added regarding Rosie O'Donnell "we certainly aren’t friends. I’d be lying if I said that. And do I wake up in the morning feeling less stressed when I go to work? Yes, I do."

Hasselbeck claimed the worst moment in her relationship with Rosie involved the now famous on air fight.

Hasselbeck explained that O'Donnell was upset she did not come to her defense when she came under fire for suggesting the Americans are the true terrorists. Hasselbeck felt that it was Rosie’s responsibility to defend her own words.

When Sean Hannity asked if she is glad Rosie is gone, Hasselbeck declined to answer stating "that wouldn’t be my choice of phrase" and continued to praise the current "View" cast.

The relevant transcript is below.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: It was all over the news and press that there was going to be a heated debate, you know, circa last year, on "The View" set.

ALAN COLMES: What do you mean by that?

HASSELBECK: Exactly, I think we all know, Rosie O’Donnell.

[...]

SEAN HANNITY: Do you miss Rosie? That’s the main question. I think Americans want to know.

HASSELBECK: Every, every day.

HANNITY: You wake up in the morning-

HASSELBECK: I do.

HANNITY: [laughing] Alright, we’ll go back to that in a second.

COLMES: Is your tongue in your cheek right now, by the way?

HASSELBECK: Well into the cheek.

[...]

COLMES: Who’s your closest friend on "The View"?

HASSELBECK: Oh gosh! That’s tough, you know, we, we have relationships like family. You know, we have our individual relationships that are so unique. I think that this is probably, this group is fun right now. It’s fun.

COLMES: Wasn’t always that way?

HASSELBECK: No, no.

COLMES: [laughing] Anything you want to say perhaps about the personalities-

HASSELBECK: It was, then it wasn’t, then it is now. That’s-

COLMES: Were you hurt at all when you went through a personal, was it all personally difficult for you and how did you cope when those times when it wasn’t always that much fun?

HASSELBECK: I only wish that there was better closure to the whole situation. I’m, I’m a person who likes to kind of, you know, tie it up as much as possible when it comes to relationships. And I think that Rosie and I, that’s who you’re referring to right?

COLMES: I’m guessing-

HASSELBECK: I just want to double check, okay.

COLMES: Well, I didn’t know. I left in the open for you to jump in there, but go ahead.

HASSELBECK: You know, I think it was a tough time because things weren’t always that bad and people will focus on that week that it got a little gritty. And we, we had a good working relationship. I don’t think I realized how, maybe bad things were until I was out of-

COLMES: And it was over.

HASSELBECK: -the smoking- and it was over. And I, I think that unfortunately it ended the way it did, but it’s in the past.

COLMES: You talk about closure as in either party’s part to reach out to the other to kind of wrap that up?

HASSELBECK: Sure, sure. There’s been communication. There’s been e-mails back and forth. I mean, we certainly aren’t friends. I’d be lying if I said that. And do I wake up in the morning feeling less stressed when I go to work? Yes, I do.

COLMES: Really? So it’s-

HASSELBECK: That’s the truth. I’m not going to get behind that.

HANNITY: How bad did it get? What was the worst moment?

HASSELBECK: I think the worst moment I was able to share with everyone who was watching that day. That was, it was the moment you don’t want to have.

HANNITY: Was that the day of the split screen?

HASSELBECK: Yeah, it was the split screen because you, you- There was no way out. There was a wall in between us in terms of communication. And, you know, I, I’m not the type of friend who’s an enabler. And I think what she felt was that I didn’t come to her defense. And I think the best defense is letting your friend know that something they’re doing is putting them in harm’s way.

HANNITY: As an objective person, I thought she was downright mean to you on a number of times. And, you know, she had said things afterwards and, you know, to this day she seems to not be able to let it go. And I, I think I know you, you’d be willing to let it go.

HASSELBECK: Sure, I’m willing to, I, I’m all for reconciliation and moving on and I think that that’s, that’s possible. You know, we’ve certainly had civil e-mails go back and forth. Like I said, we’re not texting each other throughout the day. But I feel as though slowly there’s been healing and I think only time can do that.

HANNITY: Is it a fair statement to say you’re glad she’s gone?

HASSELBECK: You know I think that, I think that, that would be-

HANNITY: Alan is dying just to be able to one day say "I’m glad Hannity is out of here."

HASSELBECK: No, no.

COLMES: I think you are projecting.

HANNITY: Is that fair? Would that be unfair?

HASSELBECK: It wouldn’t, that wouldn’t be my choice of phrase.

HANNITY: That’s fair.

HASSELBECK: I think that I believe that things are really good now. They’re really great now between Barbara and Whoopi and Joy and Sherri. And we’re at that table and I feel like things just click. And, and we’re working in a way that we’re right there with our audience. We get to talk about everything from bras to Baghdad. And it works. It feels good.

HANNITY: You mentioned the e-mails back and forth. When’s the last time you’ve e-mailed and what have you said to her and what did she say to you?

HASSELBECK: The last e-mail, I don’t- you know, I won’t discuss the personal e-mails back and forth. But there was- her personal e-mail was nice to me. The last one she sent was really nice.