Syracuse Herald Journal
November 28, 1997
Madonna put out pal Rosie O’Donnell by granting her first “Evita” interview to Oprah Winfrey last year. Now it seems Bette Midler has also let O’Donnell down.
Midler had recently run into some of the hosts for Barbara Walter’s new ABC morning show, “The View,” and promised to appear on the show last month to promote “Hulaween,” a benefit for Midler’s New York Restoration Project.
Then, Midler called O’Donnell, who agreed to be the “Hulaween” auctioneer. But when one of the bookers for O’Donnell’s show discovered that Midler was scheduled to appear with Baba Wawa first, the news made Rosie “go ballistic,” an insider told New York magazine.
O’Donnell staffers rushed to try and persuade the Divine Miss M to do Rosie’s show first.
“Bette called Rosie to explain and apologize.”
