Rosie O’Donnell Splits from Wife and Exits ‘The View’

Rosie O’Donnell, the 52-year-old host and comedienne, split from her wife Michelle Rounds after being married for about two and a half years. She also decided to quit The View, barely about six months after she returned to the ABC morning show for its 18th season.

She left the show in 2007 for the first time and joined back to fill a big void left by the departure of Barbara Walters. In the wake of her split, she wants to focus on her family and health. ABC has been positively supportive and understanding of O’Donnell’s decision to exit The View.

In June 2012, Rosie O’Donnell married Michelle Rounds in a private ceremony in New York and the two adopted a baby girl named Dakota in 2013. O’Donnell also has kids from her previous marriage to Kelli Carpenter: daughters Chelsea and Vivienne, son Blake, and an adopted son Parker. She started dating Michelle Rounds in 2011, after Carpenter moved out in 2009. Reportedly, Rosie had a heart attack in August 2012.

O’Donnell made her debut as moderator on The View in September 2006, replacing Meredith Vieira but made a dramatic and abrupt exit in 2007. Seven years later, in September 2014, she rejoined along with Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace, replacing former co-hosts Barbara Walters, Jenny McCarthy, and Sherri Shepherd. Whoopi Goldberg is a veteran panellist on the show. Rumours have been rife about O’Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg’s bitter feuds. Her final show will be aired next week.

ABC issued a statement that states that Rosie is highly talented and she comes up with new ideas and passion for the morning talk show. ABC is hopeful that she would return to the show soon. O’Donnell, however, is still a part of the ABC family with her guest appearances on The Fosters.