Longtime The View co-host Joy Behar has been missing from the show in several days of February 2025, leading fans and critics to wonder what happened. And while social media has been abuzz with speculation that she was fired, the truth behind her sudden disappearance is far less salacious.
Joy’s last appearance on the talk show came on Feb. 3, and within days Whoopi Goldberg briefly addressed Joy’s absence, saying she could return onscreen the next day. And while audiences certainly enjoyed a nostalgic episode of The View this past week when former co-host Star Jones returned while Joy was still out, a star of her caliber deserves more than just a placeholder.
Then on Feb. 6 the reason for her absence was finally explained — Joy has been occupied with her off-Broadway play, My First Ex-Husband, that opened at Mac-Haydn Theater in New York. She is one of four stars rotating in the role, and will be appearing through Feb. 23. The View fans can look forward to a brief return from her at the end of March, as the show settles in for its final days in April.
And even without a daytime series, Joy’s name remains a lightning rod for opinions on social media, particularly for people who see her views on politics and the White House as too bold. Some of the backlash against her grew after she commented on Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump. Though critics have spent time dissecting her opinions, her absence from The View has nothing to do with controversy — it’s simply a matter of juggling multiple projects at once.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.