You’re Fired! ABC Secretly Planning To Cut Rosie Perez From 'The View' In Wake Of Rosie Exit
Feb. 12 2015, Published 7:07 a.m. ET
Rosie Perez may not know it yet, but her future on The View isn't looking too bright! Despite departed co-host Rosie O'Donnell's on-air denial that Perez is leaving too, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively that the Latina won't last on the morning show much longer.
"The plan to fire her is still on," an insider told Radar. "She's absolutely gone."
In the context of Rosie O'Donnell's departure, "they didn't want to dump on Rosie Perez and fire her," the insider explained. But since they thought she had to go, the source said, they "came up with a plan to give her a graceful exit," in the form of her stint on Broadway.
Perez took a leave of absence from The View last month to prep for her role in Larry David's highly-touted play Fish in the Dark.
"They were hoping if her play was successful, she would say she couldn't do both and it would be a mutual decision," the source said.
Meanwhile, ABC executives have shot down reports the 50-year-old actress is exiting, but behind the scenes insiders say they are banking on the play being a hit. If it's not, "they're going to give her a firm push" towards bowing out, the source claimed.
"If it's not successful, she's got a movie coming up and basically they'll say they can't let her off for the movie and come to an agreement so she's focusing on her acting," the source claimed.
The popular gabfest's 18th season has faced an unprecedented level of chaos in its first four months, with Perez joining newcomer Nicolle Wallace and veteran talking heads Whoopi Goldberg and O'Donnell, whose constant bickering in front of and behind the camera dominated headlines. With ratings slumping and O'Donnell announcing her sudden departure, the future of the show won't be left in Perez's hands – and it shouldn't come as a surprise.
"She knows they aren't happy. She's gotten the feedback directly from Rosie O'Donnell in a nurturing way and from executive producer Bill Wolff," said the source. "The only wrench in the works is that people like Rosie O'Donnell have been out saying Rosie Perez isn't leaving. But O'Donnell wasn't in on that ABC decision."
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