Us Magazine reports on the developing Kelly Ripa-Clay Aiken and Rosie O'Donell news break. Supposedly Rosie out Clay's gay self and Kelly's homophoic about the whole ordeal. Read on for more...

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Rosie on Ripa/Aiken hand covering

Kelly calls in to respond to Rosie live on "The View"

We didn’t blog on last week’s little episode between former American Idol Clay Aiken and Kelly Ripa on Live with Regis & Kelly because, seriously people, Clay Aiken? But now Rosie O’Donnell has thrown herself into the mix (as she’s wont to do), so we figure it’s time for us to jump in on this latest celebrity feud.
Here’s how it started: Aiken was helping guest host Live last Friday. During an interview with Dancing with the Stars winners Cheryl Burke and Emmitt Smith, Aiken tried to shush Ripa by putting a hand over her mouth. "Oh, that's a no-no," Ripa responded. "I don't know where that hand's been, honey!"
On Tuesday’s episode of The View, O'Donnell called Ripa’s remark "homophobic.” Ripa got wind of this and called the show to confront O’Donnell on the air.
A partial transcript below:
Rosie: "To me that’s a homophobic remark..if that was a straight man if that was a cute man, if that was a guy that she didn't question his sexuality, [Kelly] would have said a different thing. I was offended by that….I guarantee if that was Mario Lopez she would not have said the same thing."
Kelly Ripa (on phone): "Listen I'm watching the show, Rosie. I love you dearly. I have to strongly strongly disagree. I think what you said is downright outrageous!...He reached across and covered my mouth with his hand, I have three kids, he's shaking hands with everybody in the audience, I mean it's cold and flu season."
Rosie: "I have four kids myself -- I understand cold and flu season...I’m just saying from where I sit as a gay person in the world, I have to tell you that's how it came off to me."
Kelly: "Well, I'm sorry it came off that way to you, but what I'm saying is I respect all people…regardless of whatever the sexual orientation is, it was outrageous, it was out of line."
Joy Behar (View cohost): "Listen Kelly, are you going to invite him back?"
Kelly: "That’s up to the producers…I am not angry with Clay Aiken...I forgive him, I don't care but Rosie I just have to tell you -- you know how I feel about you -- you have to be more responsible, not everything is homophobic."
Of course, at the heart of all this is the fact that Aiken has never said that he’s gay. But by calling Ripa’s reaction “homophobic,” O’Donnell is labeling him as such. Is this going to turn into another case of the media trying to out a celebrity? Developing!!

{US Weekly}