How Whoopi Goldberg Stands in the Way of Rosie O’Donnell’s Potential Return to ‘The View’

While Rosie O’Donnell is open to appearing on The View, it may be up to current host Whoopi Goldberg, according to the Sunday, June 21 edition of Rob Shuter‘s Naughty But Nice Substack.

Shuter explained O’Donnell, 64, and Goldberg, 70, used to be at odds as the comedian declared, “Whoopi really didn’t like me,” and “was mean to me on live TV,” in an interview on The Howard Stern Show back in 2020.

However, the women seemed to have smoothed things over.

Earlier this month, the EGOT winner said on The View that she ran into O’Donnell while seeing a Broadway musical. Goldberg shared a photo of herself and O’Donnell, telling her cohosts, “She looks amazing.”

On the Tuesday, June 16 episode of Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live, O’Donnell also discussed the reunion, noting that the Sister Act star has “been very kind” to her.

Sources told Shuter that Goldberg has the most pull on the show and would have the power to bring O’Donnell back on.

“The personal relationship has improved tremendously,” one source said. “But that doesn’t automatically mean Whoopi wants Rosie back at the table.”

“Whoopi has earned enormous respect behind the scenes,” a second insider explained. “If she were campaigning for Rosie to return, it would happen. The fact that it hasn’t tells you where things stand.”

But a surprise appearance is not out of the question, as a third source said: “Never say never.”

“The feud is over. The friendship is improving,” the source continued. “But a full View return is still a very different conversation.”

On Thursday, June 18, O’Donnell appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, hosted by Andy Cohen, and was asked by a fan whether she would go on the daytime talk show again and replied, “I would be up to guest host, but they haven’t asked me.”