Former host of ABC’s “The View” Elisabeth Hasselbeck responded Tuesday to comments made by Rosie O’Donnell and recounted in a new tell-all book by Variety writer Ramin Setoodeh.
Hasselbeck suggested during her appearance on “Fox & Friends” that O’Donnell’s claims about having a “crush” on her in the book titled “Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story Of ‘The View,” is a form of objectifying women in the workplace.
Hasselbeck also said the way O’Donnell characterizes female athletes “offensive” and “disturbing.”
Elisabeth Hasselbeck reacts to Rosie O’Donnell’s comments about having a crush on her when they were both on The View: “If you took her words and you replaced ‘Rosie’ for ‘Ronald’ there would be an objectification of women in the workplace, and it’s disturbing and it’s wrong.” pic.twitter.com/YOP9bAcYsW
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) March 26, 2019
O’Donnell says in the book that she had a “little bit of a crush [on Hasselbeck] … but it was in no way sexualized.” (RELATED: Rosie O’Donnell Admits To Having ‘Crush’ On Elisabeth Hasselbeck In ‘View’ Tell-All Book)
She went on to say, “I think there were underlying lesbian undertones on both parts … She was the MVP of a Division 1 softball team for two years that won the finals. There are not many, in my life, girls with such athletic talent on sports teams that are traditionally male that aren’t at least a little bit gay.”
Hasselbeck played softball at Boston College and is married to former NFL player Tim Hasselbeck.
“I think her casting a stereotype on female athletes in what she said … and that female athletes are a little bit gay … That’s an unfair stereotype, and it seems selfish in a way, and I think it’s untrue,” Hasselbeck said.
Hasselbeck was offended and noted that if you replaced O’Donnell with a male, the comments would be classified as workplace harassment.
Rosie also spills on that BRUTAL, final day fight — which she compares to “a lover breaking up” (via @toofab)https://t.co/JmmqBsEFqp
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 25, 2019
“If you took her words, and you replaced ‘Rosie’ for ‘Ronald,’ there would be an objectification of women in the workplace. So that is disturbing and it’s wrong,” Hasselbeck continued. “And whether you’re a man or whether you’re a woman and you’re objectifying women in the workplace, it’s wrong.”
Hasselbeck claims she tried to call O’Donnell to talk about the excerpt but did not have her current number.