Elisabeth Hasselbeck knows better than anyone how quickly things can change at The View, but even she was stunned by the news of Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy's departures on Thursday, June 26. Reacting to the cast shake-up on Friday's episode of Fox & Friends, the former View co-host admitted she didn't see it coming.
"I was shocked, in some ways," Hasselbeck, who left the morning show in 2013, said on air. Then, in response to a question from her co-host Steve Doocy about whether Shepherd herself was shocked, she added, "I'm sure. Even if you think that might happen one day, I'm sure it would come across to be a shock."
"I have not spoken to her in person yet," the Survivor alum clarified. "Set to happen, though."
Hasselbeck, 37, has stayed friendly with Shepherd, 47, since she departed The View last July. Shepherd even made a guest appearance on her pal's debut episode of Fox & Friends in September, presenting the mom-of-three with various congratulatory gifts, including a collage of photos documenting their friendship.
"We're, like, attached at the hip," Shepherd gushed at the time, noting that Hasselbeck was in her wedding party. "We're like the chocolate and vanilla…Oh, I'm gonna be here all the time."
She'll certainly have room in her schedule now. As previously reported, Shepherd confirmed on June 26 that she's leaving The View. "It's been seven wonderful years on The View, and after careful consideration it is time for me to move on," she said in a statement to Deadline.
Later, she tweeted, "Incredibly grateful to my second mom @BarbaraJWalters for pushing me beyond my comfort zone — it's been amazing doing it scared! Life should be lived. Run towards the things that scare you. Choose joy and trust God — everything else will work out as it should."
McCarthy confirmed her departure via Twitter, too, writing, "If Sherri goes…I go too. #sisters"
The duo's simultaneous exit means only Whoopi Goldberg is left at the table. "Everything is up in the air," a source told Us. "They are figuring out what to do with Whoopi. It is still being decided."
