*It was all lovey dovey during Rosie Perez’s emotional farewell on Wednesday, but Radar Online is reporting that producers have been sewing the seeds of her exit since January, and that she has been fighting against it all this time.
“It’s a messy situation,” said an insider, who told Radar plans were put in motion for Perez to leave in January, which reportedly pissed off her team. Both Perez and the show quickly insisted she wasn’t leaving, but the rumors persisted.
“ABC is trying to put on a good face, but Rosie fought them all the way,” the source said. “There were even threats of lawsuits.”
Per Radar Online:
According to the insider, Perez’ team threatened to bring the matter to court because they believed ‘View’ producers “did her dirty.”
By coming in last-minute, the source claimed, “She did them a favor, and they threw her to the wolves. They didn’t tell her there was a war going on between the other co-hosts. She walked into a bloodbath and no one supported her.”
Behind the scenes, the source said, Perez did everything she could to hang on. “She took all their feedback and even had a voice coach,” the insider claimed. “She did everything to get better.”
Ultimately, producers decided she couldn’t last, but let her announce she had made the decision herself, to pursue her love of acting.
The source insisted, “execs were always going to let it be on her terms.”
