Rosie O'Donnell had to be physically restrained from a senior producer at The View, exploded into rages over perceived slights by 'Team Whoopi' and was known as 'The 'Beast' by staff who feared going to work each day, a source has told Daily Mail Online exclusively.

A new lawsuit threatens to further expose the toxic atmosphere behind-the-scenes at the daytime talk show as Rosie, 53, now faces slander claims by a former ABC colleague.

Jennifer Shephard-Brookman, an Emmy-award winning producer who spent 14 years at The View, claims that Rosie destroyed her professional reputation by repeatedly falsely accusing her of leaking stories to the press and left her in 'intense emotional distress'.

The civil lawsuit, in New York's Supreme Court, also alleges that in September 2014, Rosie pinned Brookman to a chair while getting in her face and berating her.

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She's fired: Ex senior producer of The View, Jennifer Shepard-Brookman believes that Rosie O'Donnell acted 'maliciously', accusing her of things that she didn't do, and ultimately getting her fired from The View. Her reputation has suffered and she hasn't been able to get a job to take care of her two children, she claima

See you in court: Brookman puts the finger of blame on Rosie, who she is now suing for damages. Brookman claims Rosie 'made false and defamatory statements' which caused the ex producer to suffer intense emotional distress and destroyed her reputation

Teamwork: Rosie's nose was out of joint any time someone chose 'Team Whoopi' over her, says a source. Rosie was said to have a hard time 'playing second fiddle' to Whoopi, and wanted to be in charge

Brookman, who was fired from ABC last year over an alleged 'vicious' email she sent to Rosie, refused to comment on the lawsuit when contacted by Daily Mail Online on Monday.

She has strongly denied ever leaking information about The View.

However a source close to the show claims that Ms Brookman had been left a 'nervous wreck' by Rosie.

In January, Rosie 'stormed towards Jennifer and had to be physically restrained by her own staff who were dragging her away, screaming and shouting', the source claims.

The scene appears to have been sparked by Rosie making thinly-veiled accusations about Brookman leaking stories to the press in a packed meeting.

The following day, tensions were still high at a staff meeting and following a series of muttered remarks, the confrontation between the two women spilled out into the hall.

According to the source, Brookman does not appear to have been the only target of Rosie's ire and a climate of fear descended over the talk show set.

The source said: 'Anyone who challenges Rosie, or says no to her and doesn't let her be the empress, becomes a target. She wanted to be treated like an executive producer, without having the title.

'All these people at The View were under the thumb of a bully. They were worried about Rosie.

'They lived in fear of "The Beast", as they would call her.'

The only person who seemed to escape Rosie's abuse was moderator, Whoopi Goldberg.

Producer to the stars: Brookman made quite an impression on Tom Cruise when he appeared on The View. Her reputation was as a consummate pro, sources said

Shepard-Brookman, a 14-year veteran of the show, was suspended in February and then fired. She was one of Barbra Walters original producers of The View

Brookman got on well with host Sherri Shepherd (left) and former host and FOX star Elizabeth Hasselbeck (right)

In September 2014, a news story appeared, according to the lawsuit, which claimed O'Donnell wanted to take control of the show and the role of moderator from Whoopi and that the pair clashed over O'Donnell's efforts to take control.

The lawsuit claims that Rosie 'would become upset if she was not granted the coverage she expected, and accused Brookman of teaming with Goldberg to undermine O'Donnell'.

And if Rosie perceived any staff to be on, what she dubbed 'Team Whoopi', then it meant that individual was against Rosie and became a target.

The source contends: 'Rosie wouldn't dare say anything to Whoopi because she was too afraid of her.'

Rosie O'Donnell first joined The View in late 2006, staying for one season, in what would become known as 'Round One' to staffers.

During that time, according to Brookman's civil suit, Rosie 'feuded with Mr [Bill] Geddie, the executive producer of the show since 1997, and senior staffers and co-hosts of the show, and reportedly fell into rages, screamed at the staff, insulted them, and was so vicious that some of the staffers on the show spoke of O'Donnell using the word 'hate".'

Rosie left the show in 2007 after an explosive showdown live on-air with Elisabeth Hasselback over the Iraq War.

Seven years later, following the retirement of The View's founder Barbara Walters and a revolving door of panel members, Rosie returned in July 2014, known to staffers as 'Round Two'.

Around this time, news stories started popping up about Rosie's outrageous behind-the-scenes behavior, including some on Daily Mail Online.

According to Brookman's lawsuit, 'a story was reported in the media that she [Rosie] disliked and probably could not co-exist with Mr Geddie, and that Mr Geddie may be terminated from his job on the show'.

Mirror image: Brookman (kneeling left next to Walters) worked closely with Barbara from the time she joined the show in 2001. Rosie O'Donnell first came on late 2006, staying for one season, in what would become known as 'Round One' to staffers

Soon afterwards, the producer, who had helped Barbara Walters shape The View into a daytime TV success since the late Nineties, left the show along with supervising producer, Alexandra Cohen, and director Mark Gentile.

A source tells Daily Mail Online: 'Many staff believe that Bill Geddie was fired because of Rosie and that it was one of her demands for returning to the show.'

At this point, Brookman remained as the only long-serving senior production staffer on The View, the lawsuit stated.

Just days later, in September 2014, the producer was confronted by Rosie.

According to the suit, Rosie accused the producer of conspiring with Whoopi to 'shift the coverage of a story on the show, specifically about the beheading of James Foley by ISIS, away from her and to Whoopi'.

O'Donnell screamed at Brookman that she 'owned' the story and was upset that Whoopi covered the story.

Rosie grabbed 'the arms of the chair in which Ms Brookman was sitting, leaning very close to her face, and prohibiting her from leaving, while continuing to aggressively and loudly berate her for giving the coverage of the story to Ms Goldberg', according to the lawsuit.

The insider told Daily Mail Online about a second incident in January 2015 when Rosie almost completely lost control, a day after accusing Brookman of leaking information to the press.

Following a staff meeting, 'Rosie had to be physically restrained from Jennifer, her own people had to drag her away. Many people witnessed it.

'Rosie has an extraordinarily aggressive approach with people,' the source said.

The lawsuit mentions a number of stories which appeared in the press over Rosie's troubled relationships with co-stars and staffers.

The examples cited include a story from September 2014 where Rosie was said to have a hard time 'playing second fiddle' to Whoopi, wanted to be in charge and griped in front of the studio audience about a perceived on-air snub when Whoopi cut her off.

A month later, Rosie was said to have 'melted down' on the producers about her lack of involvement in the marketing plans for the show and that she disagreed with them.

Then in November, several articles appeared which claimed Rosie 'micromanaged the show' and 'is bi-polar' in her interactions with staff.

It was also claimed that Rosie had fought with and screamed at Whoopi and staff about the discussions of several topics including the Bill Cosby rape scandal and the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Rosie then was said to be enraged that show producers agreed to allow only Whoopi to interview former model Beverly Johnson about her accusation of drugging and attempted sexual abuse against Bill Cosby.

Another story appeared in December, claiming Rosie was 'malcontent', 'bringing down' The View and was 'impossibly rude to members of the cast and crew' and was outraged when it became clear that Whoopi would remain moderator.

In January 2015, during a Hot Topics planning meeting, attended by Brookman, executive producers, William Wolff and Brian Balthazar, co-host Nicolle Wallace, two guest co-hosts from outside ABC, and other staffers, Rosie publicly accused Brookman of betraying personal and professional confidences by leaking certain sensitive information to the media, the lawsuit stated.

Whoopi was not at the meeting – but 'would have opposed O'Donnell's accusation against Ms Brookman, and would have defended Ms Brookman', the suit read.

The lawsuit said that Brookman felt 'attacked' by Rosie at the meeting and was forced to deny she would leak any information about the show to the media.

Rosie's team told Vanity Fair in May that she didn't name a colleague at the meeting – but she seemed to implicate Ms Brookman by saying someone's teenage son might have been the leak. The producer was the only person in the room with a teenage son.

THREATS, TEARS AND TANTRUMS: BACKSTAGE AT THE VIEW It's been a roller coaster ride for fans of The View over the past months. The show continues to suffer from all-time low ratings - down in its Season 19 premiere despite its revamped panel of hosts. It also lost its key demographic - women aged 25-54 - to CBS's daytime talk show The Talk. As the talk show panel members continue to chop and change, there have been constant controversies - both on and off the small screen. Earlier this month, Raven-Symone was forced to apologize after what was perceived to be a racist remark - she would discriminate against someone for having a 'black' name. The 29-year-old shocked co-hosts during a discussion about a recent UCLA study which found that Americans make racist assumptions based on people's names. Raven-Symone said: 'I'm not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It's just not going to happen.' Raven-Symone put her foot in her mouth earlier this month Last month, Daily Mail Online exclusively revealed that moderator Whoopi Goldberg reportedly called herself a slave and spoke in a dialect that slaves once spoke in to act out her frustrations with new ABC execs at The View. A show source told Daily Mail Online: 'She was out of control. She paraded up and down the halls saying, 'I's a work for ABC who is my master. I's a slave to ABC. It's 12 Years a Whoopi at ABC.'' After making the reference to Oscar-winning film 12 Years A Slave, Whoopi loudly declared: 'I's just a n****r following orders around here, master!' Producers were uncomfortable with the 59-year-old comedienne's outburst and begged her to stop but she kept on, the source told Daily Mail Online. Among the changes that upset Whoopi was the producers' decision to move the Hot Topics segment briefing meeting from 9am to 8.30am. Whoopi was reportedly infuriated by the expectation that she would arrive 30 minutes earlier for work. She reminded them: 'I'm contractually obligated to be here at 9am and you won't see me a minute earlier.' When contacted by Daily Mail Online for comment about Whoopi's alleged meltdown, a show spokesperson said, 'This is pure nonsense and completely untrue. The ratings are up and everyone at the show, including Whoopi, who leads the charge for us each day, is excited about what's ahead.' The show lost a number of sponsors last month after Joy Behar and Michelle Collins joked about a nurse's talent performance during the Miss America competition. Johnson & Johnson, Eggland's Best, McCormick & Company, Snuggle and Party City announced they were cutting ties with The View following accusations it had trivialized the role of nurses. #NursesUnite became a trending topic following a discussion on the show about the beauty pageant contestant, Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson, who appeared on the talent section dressed in scrubs and wearing a stethoscope around her neck to perform a monologue about her job. The hosts poked fun at her, with Joy demanding to know why she had 'a doctor's stethoscope on her neck?' Advertisement

According to the lawsuit, Rosie continued to publicly accuse Brookman and told staffers and executive producers that she was the leak.

The lawsuit said Rosie's 'malicious conduct in making false and defamatory statements of fact about Ms Brookman to others in their workplace which caused Ms Brookman to suffer intense emotional distress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, destroyed her professional reputation, and led to her termination of employment'.

According to Brookman's civil suit, Rosie also feuded with Bill Geddie, the executive producer of the show since 1997. He left in 2014

A source told Daily Mail Online: 'I think Rosie's people started the leaks to the press about the show. She gives her team a lot of room, tells them to fix something and doesn't want to know that they do.'

Rosie announced her decision to leave The View in February 2015, citing personal health reasons and wanting to spend more time with her five children.

Her daughter, Chelsea O'Donnell, 18, exclusively told Daily Mail Online last month that Rosie appeared stressed out by returning to the daytime talk show alongside Rosie Perez, Nicolle Wallace and Whoopi Goldberg.

'She and Whoopi really didn't get along and she'd come home every day and talk about how she was stoned on set and she was being really mean to her,' Chelsea said.

'Rosie said 'I've already had one heart attack, I don't need this much stress.'

Rosie's sources told Vanity Fair in May that the star had received a 'vicious and heinous email' from Ms Brookman after her departure.

But a source told Daily Mail Online that this allegation was 'ridiculous' and the email, which is part of court evidence, was 'extremely benign'.

Brookman with Whoopi and famed director Mike Nichols before his death last year

'The email was not confrontational. It was basically Jen appealing to Rosie, colleague to colleague, saying 'Why are you doing this to me?' over the accusations she was a leak. Jen was so beaten down.'

Following the email, Brookman was suspended and two weeks later, fired from The View.

'ABC folded and let Rosie have what she wanted,' the source claimed to Daily Mail Online.

ABC denied to Vanity Fair that the email was why Brookman was fired although one executive told the magazine that 'you could have read the email as a threat', adding it was 'totally unprofessional'.

Brookman, who has two children, has not been able to find full-time work since leaving The View.

A source tells Daily Mail Online: 'Rosie set out to destroy Jen's career by accusing her of those leaks. She's an extremely nasty woman.

'She's a bully with her money, her power and hired mercenaries to carry out her bidding.'

Brookman is seeking unspecified damages along with her legal costs. She has requested a jury trial.

Her lawyer, Brian Kennedy, told Daily Mail Online: 'There have been reports of Miss O'Donnell's mean-spirited and vindictive attitude towards co-hosts and other staff at The View.

'It's apparent Miss O'Donnell doesn't play well others.'