Is Joy Behar really leaving The View? Not so fast...
Amid speculation that the longtime co-host plans to retire in 2022, Behar addressed the rumors during Thursday's episode.
"They're always talking about me leaving the show," Behar said on The View. "But I'm not leaving the show."
"Let me say that rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated," Behar, 77, added. "You know, here's the thing, what am I going to do? This pandemic has changed the game. 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?"
On Wednesday, Variety published a report stating that Behar had "set an exit date" after 21 seasons on The View. The report referenced an interview Behar did for the book about the daytime talk show, Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View."
"I have a three-year contract," Behar is quoted as saying the book. "But that doesn't mean I can't leave if I want to, because they can't really do anything to me at this point. I don't see myself staying for more [time]. 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..."
After a pause, Behar went on to state, "You know, time marches on. I'm not a kid."
An ABC spokesperson has also denied that Behar is exiting the show
"This is not true," the rep stated. "Joy was asked what happens at the end of her contract and as she herself made clear in the interview, if she's 'as fabulous in [2022] as I am now,' she will be in her seat at the table."