Reports: Elisabeth Hasselbeck to Also Leave 'The View'

Updated: Walters denies Hasselbeck departure on-air

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/8/2013 6:08:56 PM

UPDATED: 1:40 p.m. ET on March 11, 2013

One day after it was confirmed that Joy Behar would leave The View, fellow panelist Elisabeth Hasselbeck will also not be back this fall, according to multiple reports.

ABC would not confirm the news which was first reported by US Weekly. "Elisabeth Hasselbeck is a valued member of The View and has a long term contract," said an ABC spokesperson in a statement.

Hasselbeck first joined The View in 2003 following a stint on CBS' Survivor. As the lone open conservative on the show, she often clashed with many on-air.

Hasselbeck's reported departure leaves Barbara Walters, Sheri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg left on the long-running ABC daytime talker.

During Monday's (March 11) airing of The View, Walters addressed the reports surrounding Hasselbeck's future:

"There is a particularly false story that keeps getting picked up about Elisabeth's alleged departure, saying that we don't approve of her conservative views. The truth is we love Elisabeth. I like her personally and she's just a wonderful person. But beyond that, we value and appreciate her point of view because Elisabeth helps give the show perspective and balance" Walters said to viewers. "We have no plans for Elisabeth to leave the show."