Rosie O’Donnell’s well-publicized showdown with View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck last Wednesday has caused the unthinkable: Rosie is leaving The View!! And only 3 weeks before her contract was set to expire! TMZ’s got the scoop:

Brian Frons, President of ABC Daytime, issued the following statement:

“We had hoped that Rosie would be with us until the end of her contract three weeks from now, but Rosie has informed us that she would like an early leave. Therefore, we part ways, thank her for her tremendous contribution to ‘The View’ and wish her well.”

While the news isn’t that surprising — depressing posts on Rosie’s blog seemed to indicate she wouldn’t be returning — it’s pretty disappointing. Where was the claws-on Rosie-Elisabeth catfight Rosie’s return promised? Where was Barbara Walters intervening, only to have a ham-fisted O’Donnell knock her into the afterlife? There was SO MUCH PROMISE revolving around Rosie’s return! And now, what are we left with? Joy and Elisabeth kibbitzing with the mother from Moesha? For that, we can never forgive you Rosie.

We’d also just like to point out that for the first time ever, Elisabeth Hasselbeck won an argument. Which is reason enough for Rosie to never appear on TV again.