Joy Behar was suspiciously absent from her ABC talk show “The View” last week, and her friend and co-host Whoopi Goldberg had an explanation for this that was truly bizarre.
Goldberg mentioned @JoyVBehar absence, but it only seemed to confuse things further. “Joy is not out with Covid,” she told viewers before adding, “She’s getting over something else, the flu, or maybe she’s pregnant, I don’t know.” I didn’t know 90 year olds could get knocked up.
— Buddy Allen (@BuddyHa36680404) July 17, 2022
‘Where’s Joy Behar?’
Two panelists were missing from “The View” last week, with co-host Sara Haines being absent because she tested positive for COVID-19. Behar’s absence, however, was never fully explained, and fans took to social media to ask where she was.
“I’m scared, where’s Joy Behar!?!” one fan asked on Twitter, with another adding, “@JoyVBehar Where are you? We need your wit and rage! The show is not worth watching without you. Hope you’re well, and come back SOON. #TheView #WhereIsJoyBehar.”
Behar, 79, never responded to fans to explain her absence. On Thursday’s episode of “The View,” Goldberg addressed Behar being gone with an explanation that was strange, to say the least.
Related: Here’s Why Barbara Walters Fired Joy Behar From ‘The View’
‘Maybe She’s Pregnant’
“Sara’s still out with COVID. Joy does not have COVID,” Goldberg said, according to Decider. “She’s getting over something else, the flu, or maybe she’s pregnant, I don’t know.”
Given the fact that Behar is turning 80 later this year, it’s not very realistic that she would be pregnant. Clearly, Behar doesn’t want to explain the true reason behind her absence to fans. While we don’t agree with Behar politically, we also certainly do hope that there is nothing seriously wrong with her health that is forcing her to miss taping “The View.”
This comes just two weeks after Behar shut down rumors that she is preparing to retire from “The View,” with some reports stating that her three-year contract expires this summer and that she could be preparing to announce her retirement “any day now.”
Related: Joy Behar Falls Off Her Chair In Bizarre Moment On ‘The View’
‘Fake News’
“Fake news,” Behar’s rep told The New York Post, adding that she has signed another three-year deal with ABC that will keep her on “The View” through 2025.
Behar, who is the only original panelist of “The View” that is still on the show, was paid $7 million per year as part of her previous three-year deal with ABC. It’s been speculated that she can now garner even more money than that, as ABC is still struggling to fit the seat that was vacated by conservative panelist Meghan McCain, who left last summer.
Behar moderates the show on Fridays, and whenever Goldberg is absent. Back in 2020, Behar had said that it was unlikely that she would sign another three-year contract with ABC in 2022.
‘I Don’t See Myself Staying’
“I have a three-year contract,” Behar was quoted as saying in the bestselling book “Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of ‘The View.’ “
“I don’t see myself staying for more [time]. That’s it! I could be wrong. If I’m as fabulous in [2022] as I am now, I’ll think about it,” she continued. “But the chances of that happening … You know, time marches on. I’m not a kid.”
Clearly, Behar has had a change of heart since then, as she does not seem to be planning on leaving “The View” anytime soon. It will certainly be interesting to see if she shows up on “The View” for today’s episode.
Related: Here’s Why Barbara Walters Fired Joy Behar From ‘The View’
More About:Celebrity Entertainment TellMeNow