Joy Behar Announces That She Is Leaving The View Check 1st comment for full storyđ
Critics of The View, the daytime talk show on ABC, are celebrating the news that Joy Behar, 77, plans to retire when her contract expires in 2022. Behar, who has been part of the show for twenty-one seasons, has been a fixture in the lives of millions of Americans who tune in for their daily dose of American discourse.
Behar announced her decision to leave The View during an interview featured in journalist Ramin Setoodehâs book, The Explosive Inside Story of the View, which will be released in paperback. While many adore Behar, others hold strong negative opinions about her. Given her left-leaning political views, she has often stirred controversy, particularly since the election of President Trump.
During the interview, Behar expressed her thoughts about potentially departing the show once her contract with ABC concluded. “I have a three-year contract,” Behar disclosed in the book. “But that doesnât mean I canât leave if I want to, because they canât really do anything to me at this point. I donât see myself staying for more [time]. Thatâs it!”
Behar, known for her liberal stance on the show, clarified that her decision to stay or leave depended on her feelings as time progressed. “I could be wrong. If Iâm as fabulous in [2022] as I am now, Iâll think about it. But the chances of that happening…” she trailed off. “You know, time marches on. Iâm not a kid.”
Variety sought verification from The View regarding the interview’s authenticity and Behar’s purported retirement plans. They inquired if Behar intended to let her contract expire in 2022.
The show’s representative assured Variety that Behar was not planning to depart and debunked the rumor as “not true.”
The spokesperson clarified, “Joy was asked what happens at the end of her contract and as she herself made clear in the interview if sheâs âas fabulous in [2022] as I am now,â she will be in her seat at the table.”
Throughout her tenure, Behar has represented the Democratic viewpoint on the show. Her presence has surpassed even the showâs founder, Barbara Walters, who exited the program in 2014 at the age of eighty-four.
In 2013, ABC terminated Behar due to her overtly political stance, though they later welcomed her back for guest appearances. She eventually returned as a full-time host two years later.
She authored a book titled The Great Gasbag: An AâZ Study Guide to Surviving Trump World.
Behar went on leave from The View on March 13 due to the escalating coronavirus pandemic. Citing her age as a risk factor, she chose not to commute for the show but emphasized, “Iâm in a higher risk group because of my age, but Iâm perfectly healthy.” She recently transitioned to remote appearances from her home in the Hamptons.
