NBC is seeking to move Leno into his old 11:35 p.m. "Tonight" show time slot and push O'Brien past midnight again.
O'Brien is balking at the move after only seven months at "Tonight," and a negotiated exit from NBC seems likely.
O'Donnell says she was a huge fan of O'Brien. She used the metaphor of a bus driver who should hand over the keys to a new guy, saying: "Pass the keys to the new guy with red hair and not try to flatten his tires before he even gets going."
She was asked her opinion on the late-night fights while in town to promote an HBO documentary.
