Rosie O’Donnell Says Whoopi Goldberg “Was As Mean As Anyone Has Ever Been On Television”

In Ramin Setoodeh’s new book, “Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of ‘The View,” the award-winning journalist uses her unprecedented access to explore the behind the scenes stories of the revolutionary morning show and its most famous co-hosts. 

“Like Fire and Fury,” which shared an inside look in the Trump White House, “Ladies Who Punch,” according to Amazon, is “the gossipy real-life soap opera behind a serious show,” as it explores the full story of how “Star [Jones], then Rosie [O’Donnell], then Whoopi [Goldberg] tried to take over the show, while Barbara [Walters, who launched the show in 1997], struggled to maintain control of it all.” 

In fact, in a recently released excerpt from the book, which is set to be released on April 2, O’Donnell opens up about her experience on the show, in which she co-hosted for two separate seasons, with a seven-year gap in between. In addition to her experience, O’Donnell also detailed longstanding tensions with co-host, Whoopi, upon her return in 2014. 

According to PEOPLE, tensions between the two first erupted back in 2009 over Goldberg’s claim that Roman Polanski hadn’t committed “rape, rape,” even though he pleaded guilty to statutory rape in 1979. The frustrations spilled over into an alleged “angry letter” that Goldberg supposedly sent to O’Donnell after their spat, to which O’Donnell responded, “I’m sorry if that hurt your feelings.” 

“I have different feelings about it than you,” O’Donnell wrote back, according to Setoodeh’s book. “And I stand up for what I believe, but I’ll never bet against you, Whoopi Goldberg.”

Despite O’Donnell’s neutral response, tensions flared upon her return in 2014, with Goldberg reportedly shutting down all her ideas and topics of discussion. In fact, O’Donnell said fans noticed it, too. “Some people would say, ‘What’s going on with you and Whoopi,” she said in the book. “I was like, ‘Are you watching the show? It’s pretty much right there.’ I have no desire for a public feud.” 

“Whoopi Goldberg was as mean as anyone has ever been on television to me, personally,” O’Donnell told the author. “While I was sitting there. Worse than Fox News. The worst experience I’ve ever had on live television was interacting with her.”

Despite her horrible experience with Goldberg though, O’Donnell said she “revered” her before and she respects her still, for the revolutionary legend she is. 

“She’s a minority, feminist, smart, funny, groundbreaking legend who is black in America,” O’ Donnell said. “I’m never going to not have respect for Whoopi Goldberg. But that was a painful experience, personally and professionally.”