Joy Behar is known for her headline-making comments that make The View a topic of conversation, but did you know the comedian was actually fired from the talk show in 2013? Behar recently revealed why she was “glad” to leave The View for a time.
Behar’s Start As A Comedian Before Joining ‘The View’
Behar began her career in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comedian. “Stand-up comedy, especially for a woman in those days, was a particularly suicidal occupation,” she told Time. “I did some garbage-y gigs for, you know, a hundred bucks, where I had to drive to the bowels of New Jersey. I’d get lost on the Jersey Turnpike.”
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“You have a power when you have that microphone,” Behar continued. “People don’t like it. They don’t like it that I’m a powerful person on The View, saying things that they don’t like, but I’m sorry, that is where I’m at. I’m a powerful person on The View; I was a powerful person as a comedian holding a microphone. Too bad.”
Barbara Walters ended up tapping the then-unknown Behar for her new talk show, The View, making the comedian into a household name. However, she still had her fair share of career struggles.
Why Behar Was ‘Glad To Be Fired’
Behar was fired from The View in 2013, but she maintains that leaving the show was the right move for her at the time. “I was glad to be fired,” she explained. “I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don’t even remember why.”
“She doesn’t hold a grudge,” co-host Sunny Hostin shared. “I think because she doesn’t remember what happened the day before. That’s how she’s been able to deal with this show. She just leaves it at the table and then moves on for another day.”
Her Return To ‘The View’
Even though Behar was fired from the show, she still showed up as a guest co-host throughout 2014 and 2015. It was eventually announced that she would return as a co-host in September of 2015.
“Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in,” Behar said at the time. “Plus, Steve [Janowitz, her husband] was getting tired of applauding every time I gave my opinion. But I’m happy to be back home.” Many fans of The View can’t imagine the talk show without Behar’s colorful commentary, and are glad that she eventually came back to the program.
