Joy Behar wrapped her 16 seasons as ABC daytime talk show host on “The View” with an emotionally tinged goodbye, a thank you to her fans — and a dropping of the an expletive bomb, followed by a brief and mocking lesbian encounter with an old friend.
She first thanked her hair, makeup and wardrobe people. Then, her publicists and the show producers. Then, the crew, the writers and the executive producer. And finally, her fellow hosts and the guests.
“I’d like to say thank you. I salute you all and thank you for all the fun and lively conversations about everything and anything. I was born an only child, now I know firsthand what sibling rivalry is all about,” she said, The Wrap reported.
Turning to co-star Barbara Walters, she then said: “Thank you for asking me to join you at the table all these years ago. My life hasn’t been the same since, really it hasn’t. You’re such a legend and a friend of mine. You’re an icon.”
And then the big moment: “There’s something that I’ve been meaning to say on your behalf for 16 years,” she said, The Wrap reported. “[Expletive] Harry Reasoner. We get it. We get it.”
Ms. Walters had said on previous occasions that her former ABC Evening News colleague from 1976, Mr. Reasoner, had made her news job very difficult.
The second big moment came minutes later, with the appearance of former co-host Meredith Vieira. That’s when the audience was treated to what Ms. Vieira described as her first on-air lesbian kiss with Ms. Behar — and then the two kissed again, The Wrap reported.
“You’ll never experience anything like this again,” Ms. Vieira said, The Wrap reported.
Ms. Behar’s replacement has not yet been named. But Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who spent about a decade on the show, will be replaced by Jenny McCarthy, The Wrap reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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