If you ever want to free up some time in your future, you might as well try to be a host on The View, as the morning talk show seems to always be getting rid of people. Rumors started swirling a couple of weeks ago that ABC reportedly has a secret interest in booting Rosie Perez off of the show, and it looks like those very rumors have caused the network to back off, claiming they never wanted Perez off the show in the first place. A likely story, right?
According to Variety, which first brought Perez’s supposed fate to light, sources are claiming ABC execs have turned coat and are now fully on board with bringing Perez back after her current stint on Broadway. They are allegedly wary of sparking up a situation that is in any way comparable to the mess that NBC’s Today has had with its own hosts, and the backlash from the Variety story was a sure sign that similar events could follow.
Perez has been away from the show for weeks now, starring in Larry David’s stage play Fish in the Dark. Because ABC suits haven’t been overwhelmed by what Perez brings to the Hot Topics table, the network was supposedly toying with the idea of just never bringing the actress back in a full fashion, with the story that other engagements would keep her away. One potential part of the plan would have been to have her back on for a marked farewell, and to let her explain why she was leaving. Hard to do, since she didn’t even know these discussions were happening.
The original story caused a lot of ire behind the scenes of The View, as ABC brass hadn’t shared their plans for Perez with her co-hosts Rosie O’Donnell, Nicolle Wallace and Whoopi Goldberg, and O’Donnell was apparently highly irked that something like this would happen to Perez, her close friend. So with that taken into account with everything else, ABC apparently decided to drop its guard and pretend like everything is as hunky dory as ever.
Here’s an official statement from a senior network spokesman.
The unnamed sources are wrong. As was always the plan, the amazingly talented Rosie Perez took time off to rehearse for her Broadway play. We’re eagerly looking forward to having her back on February 3. Any speculation to the contrary is simply untrue.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Perez returns next month. Her current contract is good until August, so there are a number of things that might happen. She might ride that contract out and then hightail it the hell away from the show, or this growing controversy might cause her to walk away from The View early, but on her own terms. Of course, she might just come back and blow people away with a new and exciting attitude.
Do you guys want Perez to stay or go?
