‘The View’ Rumor About Joy Behar Quitting Over Meghan McCain Debunked

Joy Behar and Meghan McCain clash on The View almost on a daily basis due to their different political stances. That sometimes inspires tabloid rumors that Behar plans to quit because of McCain, but this is not the case. Another rumor that the comedian is walking away has just been debunked. Behar herself shot down retirement rumors.

In April, the National Enquirer reported Behar was “fed-up” and was “throwing in the towel” when her contract ends. An insider said Behar “had enough” of all the drama, particularly the clashes with McCain. “She was there since day one and would never have left otherwise,” the source said of Behar. Behar was also allegedly “weary” of the “on-air dust-ups” with McCain and co-host Whoopi Goldberg, which “drowned out her viewpoints.” The unnamed source said Behar “didn’t sign up for this” and hoped McCain would “screw it up” so producers would “beg her to come back.” Gossip Cop rated these rumors untrue.

Earlier this year, Behar told Variety reporter Ramin Setoodeh in the book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View she was considering retiring after her current three-year contract was up in 2022. “I don’t see myself staying for more [time],” Behar said. “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… [pause] You know, time marches on. I’m not a kid.”

After the quote was published, Behar said the rumors she was retiring were “greatly exaggerated.” She said the coronavirus pandemic recently changed her outlook. “You know, here’s the thing, what am I going to do? This pandemic has changed the game,” she said. “At one point you think, ‘Gee, I could retire and take a cruise around the world.’ I won’t even watch reruns of Love Boat at this point. So, where am I gonna go?”

Behar joked that she provides “employment for right-wing media” and is a “job creator” for Breitbart. “Everything I say appears on Breitbart, I don’t see how I could leave,” Behar added. “You just don’t know,” she continued later. “No one knows what they are going to do in the next two years. Look at what just happened to all of us in this world. We never predicted this. You can’t predict anything. But as of now, as of today, the answer is no. I’m going nowhere.”

Behar is the last remaining View co-host who appeared with Barbara Walters on the show’s first season in 1997. In 2013, she left, but came back after a two-season absence. The show’s 24th season kicked off this month with Behar, McCain, Goldberg, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines as co-hosts.