Overview
- O'Donnell recently told Australia's Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel that the May 2007 on-air clash was prepared in advance, citing the then-unusual split-screen and naming late producer Bill Geddie.
- Hasselbeck responded on Instagram Stories, rejecting the allegation, calling O'Donnell a bully, and urging her to "stop the lying" while saying she has tried to reach her privately.
- Entertainment Weekly reports O'Donnell's representative had no comment on Hasselbeck's videos, and The View/ABC have not provided evidence supporting the 'setup' claim.
- The original exchange unfolded during a debate over the Iraq War and was edited into a roughly 10-minute split-screen segment; two days later ABC said O'Donnell asked to be released from her contract.
- O'Donnell framed the dispute as a personal betrayal, describing off-camera efforts to befriend Hasselbeck, a characterization Hasselbeck disputed as part of her broader rebuttal.