Who is Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski? The world knows her as Elisabeth Hasselbeck,she is an American former reality show contestant of Survivor: The Australian Outback and current co-host on the United States daytime talk show The View.
Hasselbeck was born May 28, 1977 in Cranston, Rhode Island. She is the daughter of Catholic-school teacher and lawyer Elizabeth DelPadre and architect Kenneth Filarski. She has one brother, Kenneth Jr, a judge and aspiring musician. As a child, she lived in Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island.
Hasselbeck was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary School in Cranston, followed by St. Mary Academy - Bay View in Riverside, Rhode Island where she graduated in 1995. She then attended Boston College where she captained the women's softball team for two seasons. With a concentration on large paintings and industrial design, Hasselbeck graduated with a Fine Arts degree in 1999.[5]
Hasselbeck started working for Puma in 1998, while attending Boston College. After graduation, she worked for Puma shoes as a member of its design team before her television career [5]. She traveled to Italy and Belize. Reports differ as to whether her travels were for researching Puma products or to teach in Belize.[6]
In 2001, Hasselbeck was cast in Survivor: The Australian Outback, and was originally a member of the Kucha tribe. She was the last remaining member of that tribe in the game before being voted off on Day 39 and finishing fourth overall. As her luxury item, she brought a self-made immunity headdress.
In 2001, Hasselbeck was a judge at the Miss Teen USA Pageant.[5] From 2002 to 2003 she hosted the Style Network's The Look for Less where she helped find stylish clothes for bargain prices.
In the past, Hasselbeck has been open about owing much of her career to the influence of her husband's family, particularly her father-in-law, Don Hasselbeck. Although Hasselbeck previously saw herself as a "behind the scenes" kind of person and not interested in career television, or playing pundit, her agent was eager to showcase her competitive client and she auditioned for The View.[7] In 2003, Hasselbeck was one of a number of women who guest-hosted to replace outgoing The View co-host Lisa Ling, who left the show at the end of 2002.
Hasselbeck typically represents the conservative position on The View.[8] However, Hasselbeck has said that she calls herself neither a conservative nor a liberal. Her parents had an independent political stance, never telling their children for whom they voted. She has stated that the term "conservative" does not define her as a person.[9]
On May 23, 2007, Hasselbeck was involved in a heated on-air argument with co-host Rosie O'Donnell concerning the war in Iraq, which she supports and O'Donnell opposes. When O'Donnell rhetorically asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists?"[12] O'Donnell was criticized by conservative commentators for her question and she (O'Donnell) complained about Hasselbeck's unwillingness to defend O'Donnell's statements in the controversy that followed. Hasselbeck responded, "Defend your own insinuations" and responded that she shouldn't have to defend anyone else's words for them, especially when that person has a forum with which to present a defense.[13]
Hasselbeck was born May 28, 1977 in Cranston, Rhode Island. She is the daughter of Catholic-school teacher and lawyer Elizabeth DelPadre and architect Kenneth Filarski. She has one brother, Kenneth Jr, a judge and aspiring musician. As a child, she lived in Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island.
Hasselbeck was raised Catholic and attended St. Mary School in Cranston, followed by St. Mary Academy - Bay View in Riverside, Rhode Island where she graduated in 1995. She then attended Boston College where she captained the women's softball team for two seasons. With a concentration on large paintings and industrial design, Hasselbeck graduated with a Fine Arts degree in 1999.[5]
Hasselbeck started working for Puma in 1998, while attending Boston College. After graduation, she worked for Puma shoes as a member of its design team before her television career [5]. She traveled to Italy and Belize. Reports differ as to whether her travels were for researching Puma products or to teach in Belize.[6]
In 2001, Hasselbeck was cast in Survivor: The Australian Outback, and was originally a member of the Kucha tribe. She was the last remaining member of that tribe in the game before being voted off on Day 39 and finishing fourth overall. As her luxury item, she brought a self-made immunity headdress.
In 2001, Hasselbeck was a judge at the Miss Teen USA Pageant.[5] From 2002 to 2003 she hosted the Style Network's The Look for Less where she helped find stylish clothes for bargain prices.
In the past, Hasselbeck has been open about owing much of her career to the influence of her husband's family, particularly her father-in-law, Don Hasselbeck. Although Hasselbeck previously saw herself as a "behind the scenes" kind of person and not interested in career television, or playing pundit, her agent was eager to showcase her competitive client and she auditioned for The View.[7] In 2003, Hasselbeck was one of a number of women who guest-hosted to replace outgoing The View co-host Lisa Ling, who left the show at the end of 2002.
Hasselbeck typically represents the conservative position on The View.[8] However, Hasselbeck has said that she calls herself neither a conservative nor a liberal. Her parents had an independent political stance, never telling their children for whom they voted. She has stated that the term "conservative" does not define her as a person.[9]
When Presidential candidate John McCain appeared on The View on September 12, 2008, she openly expressed her intent to vote for him. On October 26, 2008, Hasselbeck appeared at Republican rallies in Florida, introducing Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.[10]
Hasselbeck has been involved in a number of heated political debates on The View, including but not limited to:
On August 2, 2006, Hasselbeck got into a heated debate in which she strongly opposed the Food and Drug Administration's plan to sell the "morning after pill" as an over-the-counter drug. Hasselbeck stated, "I believe that life begins at the moment of conception." She said the over-the-counter distribution of the pill should be banned even in cases of rape and incest, because "life still has value." Hasselbeck argued that advocates of the drug use the "rape or incest" exception as a "bait-and-switch" distraction from the goal of making it universally accessible. She argued if the "rape or incest" exception was all advocates cared about, they would not support its over-the-counter status.[11]
On August 2, 2006, Hasselbeck got into a heated debate in which she strongly opposed the Food and Drug Administration's plan to sell the "morning after pill" as an over-the-counter drug. Hasselbeck stated, "I believe that life begins at the moment of conception." She said the over-the-counter distribution of the pill should be banned even in cases of rape and incest, because "life still has value." Hasselbeck argued that advocates of the drug use the "rape or incest" exception as a "bait-and-switch" distraction from the goal of making it universally accessible. She argued if the "rape or incest" exception was all advocates cared about, they would not support its over-the-counter status.[11]
On May 23, 2007, Hasselbeck was involved in a heated on-air argument with co-host Rosie O'Donnell concerning the war in Iraq, which she supports and O'Donnell opposes. When O'Donnell rhetorically asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists?"[12] O'Donnell was criticized by conservative commentators for her question and she (O'Donnell) complained about Hasselbeck's unwillingness to defend O'Donnell's statements in the controversy that followed. Hasselbeck responded, "Defend your own insinuations" and responded that she shouldn't have to defend anyone else's words for them, especially when that person has a forum with which to present a defense.[13]
On May 23, 2007, actress Alicia Silverstone was a guest on The View. Moments before Silverstone entered, hosts Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck had the aforementioned heated argument regarding the Iraq war. The video segment shows Silverstone entering and walking past Hasselbeck to greet the other hosts. Though the interview continued normally and featured easy conversation between Silverstone and Hasselbeck, Access Hollywood deemed the act a deliberate snub. Hasselbeck later stated on the September 19 2007 episode of The View that Silverstone called and apologized for the incident. Hasselbeck said that Silverstone never meant to be rude, but was simply nervous when she walked on the stage and believed that incident was wrongly perceived by the media.
On October 3, 2007, Hasselbeck and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg got into a discussion about Senator Hillary Clinton's proposal that the US Government provide a $5,000 savings bond for each child at birth. The conversation became heated when Hasselbeck stated it would lead to fewer abortions due to women wanting to keep the money.
On July 6, 2002, Filarski married her college boyfriend Tim Hasselbeck, a former quarterback in the NFL and the brother of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The couple has a daughter born in 2005 and son born in 2007.[16] The couple is expecting a third child in August 2009.[17]
Hasselbeck is a supporter of breast cancer awareness initiatives. Her latest support of the cause comes in the form of an internet-only PSA on Celebrity Breast Cancer Diagnosis.[18]
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On July 6, 2002, Filarski married her college boyfriend Tim Hasselbeck, a former quarterback in the NFL and the brother of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The couple has a daughter born in 2005 and son born in 2007.[16] The couple is expecting a third child in August 2009.[17]
Hasselbeck is a supporter of breast cancer awareness initiatives. Her latest support of the cause comes in the form of an internet-only PSA on Celebrity Breast Cancer Diagnosis.[18]
more