The View began in 1997 and was created by the late broadcast journalist to include a panel of women from different generations and backgrounds to discuss “Hot Topics” of the moment. Walters hosted the show from 1997 to 2014, and through the years, there have been many well-known co-hosts, including Joy Behar, Star Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Candace Cameron Bure, and, of course, Rosie O’Donnell. O’Donnell was a host on the show for two short stints, between 2006 and 2007, and again between 2014 and 2015. Walters and O’Donnell might’ve clashed on occasion, but they had a respectful relationship, and O’Donnell was one of the hosts to honor Walters after her death. So why wasn’t she present on The View for the tribute to Walters? Well, it ended up being a simple logistics problem. A rep for O’Donnell told TVLine, “She is on a plane and couldn’t change her schedule,” with a spokesperson for The View confirming that O’Donnell was invited for the episode. O’Donnell shared a touching message about Walters after her death on Instagram. She said in a video, “What a long and eventful legendary life she had. Spoke to every prominent world leader in memory, interviewed everyone who’s anyone, and I was lucky enough to be in her orbit for a good many years.” She went on, stating, “May she rest in peace and may everyone remember just what barriers she broke down for women. She really did, she was the first, and will always be remembered.” While O’Donnell was unable to appear on The View, past co-hosts like Jones, Meredith Viera, Debbie Matenopoulos, Lisa Ling, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepherd all showed up to honor Walters.
