Things got weird on the ABC talk show The View once again on Thursday morning when co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sara Haines got into a slapping match on live television.
Goldberg Slaps Haines
Goldberg, 70, and Haines, 48, slapped each other a total of six times. They did this while interviewing actors Justin Theroux and Kate Hudson, who are currently promoting their TV show Running Point.
It all started when Haines was seen playfully slapping Goldberg in the arm. This seemed to be a nod to having a similar feeling to Goldberg as Theroux did about working with an “icon” like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Indeed, Theroux described Streep as being “just like every other actor” in person.
“Ow!” Goldberg exclaimed in response to the slap. She fired back by slapping Haines in the arm. Haines proceeded to hit her back, only to be slapped by Goldberg again in return. They then repeated this by slapping each other in the arms for a third time. Theroux was visibly baffled by the two women slapping each other over and over.
“Why are we all hitting each other?” a confused Theroux asked.
The camera then cut to Goldberg, who was not laughing about the exchange. Instead, she looked visibly annoyed by Haines, making it clear that she didn’t like her slapping her arm in the first place.
Check out the full bizarre exchange for yourself here.
Goldberg’s Previous Slapping Incident
This isn’t the first time that Goldberg has slapped Haines on live TV. Just last month, we reported that she slapped her after Haines made an oral sex joke about their co-host Joy Behar.
“My agent at the time told me not to take The View, and, in retrospect, he might’ve been right,” joked Behar, 83. “I was told, ‘Change your voice,’ which I can’t. ‘Change your name.'”
“It’s so iconic, why would you change it?” Haines asked. Behar replied, “Because I sound like I have Jimmy Hoffa in the back of my throat.”
“Well, did you?” Haines asked in response. This was a reference to Behar’s running joke about supposedly having dated various “famous” men in the past. Using her cue cards, Goldberg then slapped Haines in the arm, chastising her for the crude joke.
Check out that slapping incident for yourself in the video below.
Goldberg ‘Set To Be Pushed Out’ Of The View
This comes after insiders claimed that Goldberg is “set to be pushed out” of The View very soon due to her leftwing meltdowns.
Last month, the conservative Elisabeth Hasselbeck, 48, returned to The View as a guest host. She was filling in for Alyssa Farah Griffin, 36, who has been on maternity leave.
Hasselbeck was the token conservative on The View from 2003 until 2013, when she left to go to Fox News. During her time on the ABC talk show, she was known for her verbal battles with her liberal co-hosts, especially Goldberg.
One ABC insider claimed that Hasselbeck’s return to The View was carefully orchestrated by savvy producers. According to this source, the producers encouraged Hasselbeck to challenge Goldberg as much as possible in order to elevate the tension on the panel.
“Producers were telling Hasselbeck to push Goldberg and the [other panelist] ladies even harder,” the ABC insider told Radar Online. “They know what makes great television – and they wanted sparks. Conflict equals ratings.”
Other ABC staffers said that producers privately assured Goldberg that Hasselbeck’s time on The View would only be temporary. However, they may not have been being honest with her.
“Elisabeth’s return could be part of a longer play,” said one insider. “Some people think she’s being used to slowly nudge Whoopi toward the exit.”
Watch Hasselbeck school Goldberg on The View in the video below.
Goldberg’s latest slapping match with Haines certainly won’t help her cause when it comes to staying on The View. Only time will tell if ABC higher-ups actually keep Goldberg around!