'The View': Joy Behar calls exit rumors exaggerated, Meghan McCain trolled for saying quitting isn't an option
'The View' co-host Joy Behar clarified on Thursday that rumors of her exiting the daytime talk show have been exaggerated. “You know they are always talking about my leaving the show. I’m not leaving the show. Let me say that the rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated,” exclaimed American comedian, writer, and actress Joy Behar on Thursday. Just the day before, Variety had reported that the longtime co-host of the daytime talk show ‘The View’ would soon be exiting it.
The report said that the co-host had announced her plans to retire after her contract ends in the summer of 2022 in an interview for the paperback of the non-fiction book ‘Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View’ written by Variety’s Ramin Setoodeh. The report also said multiple sources on ‘The View’ confirmed that Behar, the oldest co-host on the show, had been floating the idea of exiting by 2022.
“I have a three-year contract,” Behar said in the book. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t leave if I want to, because they can’t really do anything to me at this point. 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. But the chances of that happening…” She paused to reflect. “You know, time marches on. I’m not a kid.”
Behar’s representatives have already refuted the claim: “This is not true. Joy was asked what happens at the end of her contract and as she herself made clear in the interview if she’s 'as fabulous in [2022] as I am now,' she will be in her seat at the table.”
Now, however, in the new episode of ‘The View’, where the co-hosts were conversing from their respective homes, Behar was more vocal about the matter. “What am I going to do? This pandemic has changed the game. At one point you think, ‘Gee, I could retire, take a cruise around the world’ -- I won’t even watch reruns of ‘Love Boat’ at this point,” she said.
The 77-year-old firebrand added, “Let’s not forget that I provide employment for Right-wing media. I mean I am a job-creator over at Breitbart. Everything I say, appears on Breitbart,” to the laughter of her co-hosts.
Although when Whoopi Goldberg commented that Behar leaving the show would be like “breaking up the band”, she responded with, “The band has been broken up many times.”
Co-host Meghan McCain said, “I read it online yesterday and I called Joy immediately and said, ‘This isn’t an option. You’re not leaving. I’m not leaving. None of us are leaving’. There’s a pandemic and an election and the world is insane. And also I’m pregnant and I need advice from you… It’s not an option, Joy.”
Viewers of the daytime talk show have registered their happiness at the news on social media. A user wrote, “Good!!! Glad you’re staying - it wouldn’t be the View without you!!!”
Fans of Behar seemed not too pleased with McCain, however. One Twitter user wrote, “Meghan just had to insert herself in the matter. Joy not going anywhere, I’m not going anywhere, none of us are going anywhere. Meghan, it’s not about you! This is about Joy!” Another person on Twitter noted, “You can't leave LOL who will Meghan argue with?”
A Twitter user also said, “Very happy to hear that Joy and [Meghan McCain] are staying. Joy provides MUCH laughter and her view on the president is hysterical. Although I lean left, I appreciate listening to Meghan’s point of view and wish people weren’t so mean to her on Twitter.”
On March 13, Behar revealed she was taking a sabbatical from 'The View' to self-isolate amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m in a higher-risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy. I’m doing this myself. Luckily I don’t have to worry about childcare and things like that and also, I have enough money to take off some time,” she said at the time. But she returned to the show once again via satellite after her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Meghan McCain, and Sunny Hostin started working remotely.