During the Wednesday episode of The View on ABC, long-time host Joy Behar, who is 80 years old, made a surprising comment directed at Whoopi Goldberg. Behar stated that she was “happy” when she was fired from the show back in 2013. This revelation came as a shock since Behar had been one of the original hosts of The View when it first aired in 1997. However, after being fired for undisclosed reasons, Behar was brought back to the program just two years later.
The topic of Behar’s firing was brought up because the hosts of the show wanted to discuss an interview that she gave to Time Magazine last year. In the interview, Behar explained that she was “happy” to have been fired from The View. Despite the unexpected comment, Behar did not take her dismissal personally. Throughout her long career in television and Hollywood, she has faced setbacks and managed to bounce back every single time.
In the Time Magazine interview, Behar stated, “I was glad to be fired from The View. I was basically sick of the show at that point for some reason. I don’t even remember why.” These candid remarks shed light on Behar’s perspective and provide some insight into her mindset at the time.
During Wednesday’s episode of The View, Behar defended her comment, saying, “I always have friends where I work, and if I don’t have friends at the job, I will not keep the job. So when I was fired last time from this show, people said to me, ‘Were you okay with that?’ and my answer is, I was happy because all my friends had left already. So, there was no reason to stay anymore. I mean it.”
Whoopi Goldberg, who was a co-host of The View when Behar was fired, jokingly responded, “Really? All your friends left?” Goldberg then pretended to cry before adding, “It’s okay. I’m cool.” Behar clarified her statement by explaining that when she was fired, her backstage friends had already left. She emphasized the importance of working with friends and how it affects her job satisfaction.
Goldberg, initially taken aback by Behar’s comment, quickly realized that Behar was not intentionally insulting her. Goldberg reassured Behar, stating that they had been friends for a long time, dating back to when they were both co-hosts of The View in 2013. Goldberg’s friendly response diffused any tension, showing that she was not genuinely offended and was merely teasing Behar about her words.
Behar confirmed in an interview with People Magazine in 2017 that she was indeed fired from The View in 2013 and that it was not her decision to leave the popular daytime talk show. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the direction the show was taking at the time and was relieved when they decided not to renew her contract.
Behar’s ability to handle insults seems to be a characteristic that defines her. Sunny Hostin, another host of The View, stated, “She doesn’t hold a grudge. I think because she doesn’t remember what happened the day before.” Despite occasionally being reminded of insults directed at her, Behar remains calm and unbothered, leaving any negative experiences behind and facing each new day with a fresh perspective.
