By many recent accounts, including the recent claims of former on-air talent Nicolle Wallace, The View has descended into a kind of wonky anarchist state — but with fewer rules. Back in mid-July, Variety revealed that Wallace had been fired from The View . It wasn’t a huge story in and of itself except for the fact that Nicolle herself hadn’t even been notified by ABC or the production staff of the show when the story broke. Along with many of her peers and fans of the popular daytime show, Wallace learned that she was sacked through media reports. Recalling her dismissal from The View , Nicolle Wallace recently spoke to Variety, discussing her feelings about the way things unfolded.
“I loved the job. I had no plans of quitting,” she said. “I think I thought that I would learn somewhere other than Variety that I’d been fired. It shattered my naivete about television. Listen, it’s all fair. I wasn’t wronged by anybody. But I was surprised to learn in the press about their decision not to bring me back.”
Sherri Shepherd, who spent seven seasons at The View before leaving the show last year, discussed Wallace’s sacking with People Magazine. Shepherd touched upon Wallace’s previous experience in explaining why the loss is particularly unfortunate for The View . Nicole Wallace was a communications chief for former President George W. Bush.
“She’s a good friend of mine. I think you need someone like Nicolle Wallace sitting there who is passionate about politics but knows she has to fight … That’s the thing about sitting at the table at The View . It’s so important it’s political season. You need someone at the table who is going to break that political structure and what it means for us, so I am very disappointed.”
Wallace could have continued her work with the show in a limited capacity, as she was reportedly offered a recurring spot as a contributor for The View . Nicole Wallace declined the offer, as noted in a report by Inquisitr .
Of course, the whole flap over Nicole Wallace isn’t the only public embarrassment for The View in recent months. Rosie Perez recently left the show before her commitment was up, abruptly wrapping up her brief stint on the show. Her departure comes in the wake of a racially insensitive comment made by co-host Kelly Osbourne about Latinos .
Generally speaking, it’s been a roller coaster ride for The View since the departure of a number of established stars, including Sherri Shepherd, Jenny McCarthy, and the show’s creator, Barbara Walters. According to a July report by The Wrap , Raven-Symone’s addition to the cast of The View hasn’t significantly aided the show’s slumping ratings, which have declined in double digits since last season. It’s hard to tell how significantly Nicolle Wallace’s statements regarding her treatment while at The View will further damage the show’s already tarnished reputation. It remains clear, however, that more negative publicity was the last thing that The View needs right now to turn its act around.
[Image via ABC]