The 5 Most Shocking Revelations From ‘The View’ Tell-All Book, From Outraged Walk-Offs to Barbara’s Dress Code

Even if you’re not a fan of The View, you might be interested in hearing about some of the more ~scandalous~ details behind the scenes of the hit talk show. A new tell-all book, Ladies Who Punch by Ramin Setoodeh, offers them in spades. We picked out five of the most shocking revelations from the book, although there are plenty more where these come from.

1. When Rosie O’Donnell Literally Put Her Health at Risk

During a Hot Topics discussion about racism and President Barack Obama, Rosie O’Donnell got so worked up arguing with Whoopi Goldberg that she popped her carotid artery. “I thought my head was going to explode,” Rosie explained to the author. Her cardiologist was watching, saw the vein pop, and called her to say, “Come in right now. Your heart rate during that is dangerous for you.” He even told her he didn’t want her to do the show anymore. “I could feel it. I felt it in the midst of fight or flight or freeze.”

2. Whoopi Was Extremely ‘Mean’ to Rosie

“Whoopi Goldberg was as mean as anyone has ever been on television to me, personally — while I was sitting there,” Rosie, 57, told the author. “Worse than Fox News. The worst experience I ever had on live television was interacting with her.” She “idolized” Whoopi, 63, previously, and the writer explained, “Once Rosie got to know the real Whoopi, it all came crashing down.”

Deal of the Day

Only $12! — (And No One Will Know They Aren’t Designer) View Deal

3. Barbara Walters’ Dress Code

Jenny McCarthy said Barbara Walters critiqued her outfits every day and made her change often. “We would all show up in the make-up room,” she explained. “Barbara would check out what I was wearing. If she didn’t agree with it, or it didn’t complement her outfit, I had to change.” Jenny, 46, estimated that she changed 50 outfits over a seven-month stint. “There were times when she’d say change, and she’d make people run out and get that dress in her size. I was a human Barbie doll.”

4. Elisabeth Hasselbeck Walked Off After a Heated Discussion With Barbara

Following a discussion about the morning-after pill in which Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara argued on air, Elisabeth ripped up her note cards and stormed off the stage during a commercial break. “F–k that!” Elisabeth, 41, said on a recording the author listened to. “I’m not going to sit there and get reprimanded on air. It’s not OK to sit there and get reprimanded on air.” Joy Behar tried to calm her down to no avail. She announced she was quitting but was back after the commercials aired.

5. Star Jone’s Decision to Not Talk About Her Gastric Bypass On-Air Upset Co-Hosts

“I think that bothered me the most,” Star Jones explained to Setoodeh. “Each one of us had something that we were not comfortable talking about. Barbara had surgeries that we were not talking about on air. Meredith’s husband had MS. We knew it from day one. We respected that until she was ready. I always felt it was our obligations to protect each other. And I don’t think they did the same for me.”