Joy Behar Breaks Silence On 'The View' Retirement Rumors

"The View" co-host Joy Behar isn't going anywhere!

The longtime host, 79, is about to celebrate her 80th birthday in October. Considering how long she's been with the show, is it possible that she's considering retiring from the show?

Read on to find out!

It's rumored that Joy Behar's three-year contract with ABC expires this summer.  Independent Journal Review reported that Joy could be preparing to announce her retirement “any day now.”

On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that Joy has signed another three-year deal with ABC. Her rep told the publication that the retirement rumors are nothing but "Fake news." Her new contract will keep her on the show until at least 2025.

Although her salary was not disclosed, the New York Post estimates that Joy Behar is bringing in at least eight figures for her seat at the table. Joy is the only original panelist left at “The View” and was reportedly paid $7 million per year as part of her previous three-year deal with the network.

With the show still struggling to fill the spot previously filled by Meghan McCain, it's possible that Joy's contract has actually increased.

As of July 2022, there are only four full-time co-hosts: actress Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and "The Chase" host Sara Haines. Ana Navarro still makes a regular appearance on the show, but she only appears one day a week. Joy moderates the show every Friday, but also stepped up to fill in Whoopi's shoes when she was suspended in February for claiming that the Holocaust was not about race.

Behar moderates the show every Friday and also filled in when Goldberg was spectacularly suspended from the show for two weeks in February for saying the Holocaust wasn’t about race.

As the New York Post reported, Joy had actually told reporter Ramin Setoodeh in 2020 that she was unlikely to renew her contract this year. However, she just did.

In his best-selling book, "Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Story of 'The View,'" Joy had said, "I have a three-year contract. 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 … You know, time marches on," she added. "I’m not a kid.”

When "The View" first kicked off in 1997, Joy was there alongside Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulos, and Barbara Walters.

However, Joy's run has not come without criticism. Back in March, Joy tripped just before she reached her seat and face-planted on camera. Sara and Sunny rushed over to help her, while Whoopi could be overheard telling Joy to "just stand." A production assistant also rushed over to help Joy get to her seat.

“Twenty-five years that has never happened… who do I sue?” she joked.

Some, although not all, users expressed concern for Joy after her fall. “I strongly dislike her ‘views’ but I would never wish for her to be hurt,” one user commented. “I hope she is okay.”

“Not a fan at all of this show but wouldn’t want any of the ladies to get hurt,” another echoed. “Glad she is ok.”

However, others said that it was “karma” due to her recent comments about the crisis in Ukraine. As The Blast previously reported, Joy expressed concern that the war in Ukraine would impact her long-awaited trip to Italy.

“I’m scared of what’s going to happen in western Europe, too. You plan a trip, you want to go there, I’ve wanted to go to Italy for four years, and I haven’t been able to make it because of the pandemic and now this,” she said. Her comments were immediately met with backlash online.

One fan who observed her fall commented, “Joy just took the trip she was complaining about.”