When Sherri Shepherd joined The View in 2007, she was already an established actress, but like many people entering a high‑profile talk show gig, she faced negotiation that didn’t yet reflect her value. At the time, she was carrying personal financial burdens—including being “six hundred thousand dollars in the hole” due to legal disputes during a custody battle.
It didn’t take long for Sherri to realize that what she was offered didn’t match what her peers were earning. Stories later revealed that Rosie O’Donnell stepped in as a confidante and mentor during this early stage. Rosie shared the salaries of co‑hosts — including her own, that of Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and others — with Sherri. This information gave Sherri insight she otherwise didn’t have.
Thanks to Rosie’s transparency, Sherri then went back and countered the original offer. She negotiated better pay, and also asked for additional perks that had been omitted in the first deal. For instance, Sherri was initially offered one business‑class ticket to New York; after renegotiating, she got eight first‑class tickets to Los Angeles to visit her son on weekends. Also, her rent in New York was paid for the first year.
Sherri has admitted publicly that if Rosie had not shared those salary figures, she would have accepted a deal that was much lower—one that did not do justice to her experience and what others were making.
Paying It Forward: Sherri Helping Others Like Sunny Hostin
Sherri Shepherd has repeatedly emphasized the importance of salary transparency, especially for women in media. She says part of what she learned from Rosie was the responsibility to share what she knows, so that others are not disadvantaged in negotiations.
A strong example is how Sherri helped fellow co‑host Sunny Hostin when she joined The View in 2016. Before Sunny’s contract was finalized, Sherri reached out, walked through past salary information (including sharing Jenny McCarthy’s salary), and asked questions like: Did they offer a car stipend? Did her deal include other benefits? With that information, Sunny realized she was being under‑offered and went back to her agent to negotiate a better deal. “You gave me everyone’s salary … you got me paid,” Sunny said of Sherri’s help.
Sherri’s philosophy has become clear: women (and anyone in less empowered positions) deserve to know what’s on the table. Because often, the difference between a good contract and a great one is having information. Rosie’s example showed her that.
What Sherri Says About Her Own Pay and Broader Implications
Sherri has been relatively vague about the exact numbers she was offered vs. what she ended up making. She often says things like “it was a lot of money,” without giving specific salary figures.
However, one source gives a clearer picture: when Sherri was first offered a contract, it was reportedly less than what Elisabeth Hasselbeck was making. Rosie informed her that Joy and Elisabeth had higher salaries, and Rosie herself was making significantly more—around $2 million according to Sherri’s recollection. That information empowered Sherri to demand more, and ultimately she says she “eventually made a million, too.”
Beyond her own gains, Sherri has urged others to share salary information and negotiate hard. She has helped not only Sunny Hostin, but also given guidance to Loni Love (of The Real) and Sheryl Underwood (of The Talk) about what they should ask for in their contracts.
Sherri frames all of this as part of a sisterhood: “You gotta stick together,” “pay it forward,” she says. She has publicly pointed out that many contract negotiations are shrouded in secrecy, especially in female‑dominated talk shows, which means many hosts accept offers without knowing whether they’re being under‑paid. Rosie’s willingness to break that code of silence made a big difference for Sherri, and by extension for others.
Conclusion
Sherri Shepherd’s story around her pay on The View illustrates a larger issue in entertainment (and many industries): how lack of transparency can lead to unequal compensation, and how mentorship and openness can change that. Rosie O’Donnell sharing salary info with Sherri was a pivotal moment—it allowed her to recognize what was fair, ask for it, and not settle for less.
Sherri didn’t keep that advantage to herself. She used what she learned to help Sunny Hostin and others, enabling them to negotiate more insightful deals, demand benefits beyond just base salary, and overall shift the power dynamics a bit.
While the exact dollar figures sometimes remain vague (intentionally, perhaps), the message is clear: knowledge is power. And when people share what they know, they help each other get closer to fairness.