Where Is Joy Behar on ‘The View’? Why the Host Was Missing From the Panel for 3 Consecutive Shows

Joy Behar was absent for a majority of episodes of The View during the first week of February 2025. Viewers were curious why the TV personality wasn’t sitting alongside her cohosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin and Closer has the answers.

Where Is Joy Behar on ‘The View’?

Joy kicked the week off on Monday, February 3, alongside her fellow cohosts on The View. However, she was missing from the following three episodes and fans didn’t get an answer about her absence until Thursday, February 6.

“Joy is not here. We wish her a happy opening night. It’s tonight,” Whoopi said during the episode, without further explaining her statement.

Did Joy Behar Address Her Absence on ‘The View’?

The comedian didn’t inform fans about her temporary absence from the daytime talk show. However, the premiere of her off-Broadway play My First Ex-Husband debuted on February 6, 2024.

“It’s opening night of MY FIRST EX-HUSBAND. We are so thrilled to celebrate these stories tonight with the cast and company!” the play’s official Instagram captioned a video of Joy, who wrote the stage play. “Congrats to everyone at the MMAC Theater.”

In the clip, Joy revealed what inspired her to write the script.

Is Joy Behar Leaving ‘The View’? Updates on Her TV Career and Future

“So, I’ve always been fascinated by why people get married and why people get divorced. This is an interesting subject for me. I’m divorced myself, so I have a little bit of expertise in the area,” Joy said of her 17-year marriage with ex-husband Joseph Behar. “I love to go to yard sales, and the best yard sales are always when the people are divorced because they will just give you everything [laughs]. ‘Take it. I don’t want it. I don’t want to have anything to do with that piece of furniture.’”

Joy concluded by reflecting on a time she went to a house and saw a book titled How to Get a Divorce, “And I said, ‘Bingo.’ That was it.”

According to the play’s website, Joy will star alongside Susie Essman, Tovah Feldshuh and Adrienne C. Moore in the play every night until February 23, 2025.

“My First Ex-Husband is a bold and heartfelt adaptation of true stories by the legendary Joy Behar, comedienne and co-host of The View. With razor-sharp wit and no filters, it explores the messy, hilarious truths of love, sex and relationships,” the play’s official description reads. “Whether you’re happily coupled, cautiously committed or considering changing the locks, relationships are complicated – and universally relatable. These stories are your stories, only funnier.”

My First Ex-Husband is an 80-minute performance without an intermission.

Joy Behar Had a Fill-In Host While She Was Away

Former The View host Star Jones returned to her seat while filling in for Joy during the Wednesday, February 5, episode. Star was a cohost on the show between seasons 1 and 9.

“Do not try to adjust your television set! Joy is not here today,” Whoopi said during the episode’s introduction. “I know, I know! But, look! One of the originals, one of the OGs, the fabulous Star Jones! Welcome back!”

Not only did Star share her excitement about her grand return to the Hot Topics table, but she also discussed healthy practices for women amid National Go Red Month.

“I’ve been a national volunteer for 14 years for [American Heart Association] because I had open heart surgery 14 years ago. And talk about being connected at the heart, literally within the same 6 months, Barbara Walters had open heart surgery for an aortic valve malfunction also, and so we are connected in that way,” Star said. “But I’m a survivor and a thriver because my life has obviously improved, but I just think to myself in 14 years it’s still the number one killer of Americans, the number one killer of Black Americans, the number one killer of women.”