Here’s How Much Money Rosie O’Donnell Says ‘The View’ Hosts Made

Rosie O’Donnell wasn’t just The View’s most controversial cast member. She was also its highest paid.

In a conversation with Vulture, Sherri Shepherd said O’Donnell offered her some candid financial advice before she formally signed on to The View in 2007, sharing her own salary and the salaries of the show’s other hosts. 

“Rosie O’Donnell called and was like, ‘Let me tell you what everybody’s making — I make $2 million, Joy (Behar) makes $500,000, Elisabeth Hasselbeck makes $500,000,’” Shepherd recalled. 

O’Donnell ended their conversation with clear instructions for Shepherd: “‘You need to ask for $2 million.’”

Considering the network had offered Shepherd just $400,000 while gossip swirled about her being “difficult” in salary negotiations, O’Donnell’s revelation proved helpful in negotiating her pay throughout her seven years on The View. 

“I eventually made a million, too. I always will credit Rosie O’Donnell for being free with that,” Shepherd admitted, adding that her experience with O’Donnell inspired her to be transparent about her pay. 

“To this day, if there’s a woman who does a talk show, I’ll let her know what I make,” the comedian concluded. “I was very thankful to Rosie for what she did for me.”