Barbara Walters broke a lot of barriers as a journalist. She became the first female co-host for “The Today Show” in 1974. Two years later, she became the first female to anchor the evening network news when she joined “ABC Evening News.” She went on to become famous, thanks to her intimate interviews on “20/20” and the “Barbara Walters Specials.”
Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesBut for many people, it’s her creation and time on “The View” that they remember her for most. Joy Behar, one of the original co-hosts, was known as one of the most outspoken of the group, which has gotten her into hot water a few times. While appearing on “Live With Andy Cohen,” Behar explained what led to her being fired from the show in 2013, and how Walters felt about it afterwards.
Mark Mainz/Getty ImagesBarbara Walters Once Fired Joy Behar… Twice
“Well, Barbara fired me at one point — she fired me twice, actually,” Behar told Cohen. “So one of the times when she fired me it was just because they decided to fire me. Had something to do with a Democrat and a Republican. That’s what they told me.”
“She sacked me, right? So we’re planning to tell the story on the air and during the commercial break she says to me, ‘Tell them you changed your mind,'” she recalled, chuckling. “I said, ‘Barbara, you just fired me. How am I supposed to change my mind?’ She regretted it, that’s why.”
After Cohen pointed out that she returned to the show, Behar claimed that she had to be persuaded.
“They didn’t just bring me back, okay, they begged me to come back,” she said. “Let’s be clear here.”
Joy Behar’s Honest Apology: A Moment of Vulnerability on ‘The View’
“The View” has seen many hosts come and go since it premiered, but — except for her two-year absence — Behar has remained. As one of the most opinionated hosts on the show, there have been times in which Behar has found herself at odds with her co-hosts and others.
One such incident occurred in 2021, when she repeatedly misgendered Caitlyn Jenner as they were discussing her run to become California’s governor. After coming back from a commercial, she apologized.
“So, first of all, let me apologize for my pronoun mix-up,” she said. “I think I just didn’t get enough sleep last night. I had no intention of mixing them up and I tried to correct it immediately. But, whatever, it just came out. So I’m sorry if anybody was upset by that.”
Jenner graciously accepted the comedian’s apology.
“Don’t sweat it, @JoyVBehar,” she wrote. “I’m not about cancel culture. I know where your heart is. California has bigger issues than pronouns.”
