Rosie O’Donnell Leaving The View

Rosie O’Donnell has been unable to come to a contractual agreement with ABC Daytime, and as a result, her duties as a cohost of The View will end in mid-June. “Working with Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth has been one of the highlights of my career, but my needs for the future just didn’t dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me,” Rosie says in a statement to ABCNews.com. “To all the viewers out there, I just want to say ‘Thank you’ for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year. But you can always find me at Rosie.com.”

ABC Daytime boss man Brian Frons says, “Going in we knew we would have an amazing year with [Rosie], and that anything beyond that would be gravy. And while we’ve tried to come to terms on a deal that would extend her [stay] on The View, we find ourselves unable to agree on some key elements.”

View mother hen Barbara Walters deems the departure an amicable one, saying, “[Rosie] has given the program new vigor, new excitement and wonderful hours of television. I am very sad that ABC Daytime could not reach an agreement with her for a second year. We will all miss Rosie. She remains for me a cherished friend and colleague.”