Is Joy Behar leaving ‘The View’?

Could The View be losing one of its most outspoken cast members? Fans are in a frenzy after Joy Behar mysteriously vanished from the Hot Topics table for three days straight without prior notice. Now, many are wondering if she’s ever coming back or if she has quietly exited the talk show.

The 82-year-old comedian-host first went MIA on Monday, Feb. 3. At the time, it was not too alarming since fans know she typically skips Monday, just like how fellow cast member Whoopi Goldberg would often duck out on Fridays. But when Behar was nowhere to be seen on the Tuesday and Wednesday episodes, alarm bells went off.

Behar’s absence from The View became so conspicuous to regular viewers, especially since she’s one of the most honest, frank, and opinionated cast members to grace the show. Speculations ran wild about possible health concerns or even a potential behind-the-scenes misunderstanding with fellow cast or producers.

The last-minute decision to bring in one of the OG co-host Star Jones did not help quell viewers’ concerns, but it did fill the void left by Behar during her three-day absence from the show. When Goldberg introduced Jones on Tuesday’s episode, the live audience seemingly groaned in disappointment at the thought that Behar would be missing for some time.

“Do not try and adjust your television set! Joy is not here today,” Goldberg said as the audience reacted in dismay. The Academy Award winner then tried to lighten the mood by saying, “I know, I know. But look! One of the OGs, the fabulous Star Jones [is here]!”

Jones, who co-hosted the show from 1997 to 2006, was thrilled to be back even just for a day. “It’s nice to be back! This is the new stuff up in here,” she gushed, referring to the show’s snazzy new studio. While Jones’ guest appearance helped distract fans from the elephant in the room, it was Goldberg’s statement on Tuesday that revived hope for viewers who wanted to see Behar joining the ladies on the table again.

“[Joy] will be back tomorrow, we think,” Goldberg said hesitantly. When Wednesday’s episode rolled around, however, Behar was still nowhere to be found, and so Jones was once again back to join the current lineup of co-hosts at the table.

After Behar’s three-day absence from the talk show, Goldberg finally addressed the issue head-on on Thursday, Feb. 6, by confirming that Behar’s been busy with her new off-Broadway project, My First Ex-Husband. “Joy is not here [again]. We wish her a happy opening night. It’s tonight,” she said.

Behar is starring in the play at New York’s Mac-Haydn Theater alongside Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman, Tovah Feldshuh, and Adrienne C. Moore. The show runs until Feb. 23, and while it’s exciting to see Joy back on stage, it’s also led fans to speculate yet again if this could be a sign that she’s exiting The View.

Since there’s no official word yet if Behar’s leaving the daytime talk show, there’s no reason to worry about her status as co-host. For over two decades, she’s been part of The View‘s fiery debates and laugh-out-loud moments. A break from daytime TV shouldn’t be much of a big deal for her at this point.