Panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin was absent from “The View” on Wednesday, leaving fans asking a lot of questions about where she was.
The former Donald Trump associate joined the panel in late 2022 alongside regular guest panelist Ana Navarro after former panelist Meghan McCain left “The View” in 2021. Although she was a controversial pick, she has seemed to fit in right alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines.
Why Alyssa Farah Griffin Was Absent From ‘The View’ On Wednesday
A few months ago, “The Stand” actress Whoopi Goldberg missed several episodes of the ABC talk show due to COVID-19. On Wednesday, March 22, conservative panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin was absent because she too tested positive for COVID-19.
Whoopi announced that Alyssa had come down with COVID-19 at the beginning of Wednesday’s show, which only had Whoopi, Joy, Sunny, and Sara in attendance.
At the top of the broadcast, Whoopi told the audience, “Hello and welcome to The View. Alyssa is not here because, unfortunately, she has COVID.” She quickly added, “Yeah, it’s still around.”
COMING UP: United States @Surgeon_General Dr. Vivek Murthy joins us LIVE to discuss where we are now with COVID-19 and share how loneliness is America’s next public health crisis. pic.twitter.com/43QCQfWAhT
— The View (@TheView) March 23, 2023
After telling Alyssa to “feel better,” Whoopi added, “Tune in tomorrow when U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy gives us the latest on the COVID crisis and other healthcare issues. We’ve got some questions.”
Talk about timing!
Whoopi Goldberg Says ‘The View’ Is ‘Calmer’ Since Meghan McCain Left
Fans are still divided over the departure of Meghan McCain from “The View.” The daughter of the late Republican Senator John McCain joined “The View” in October 2017. However, she frequently clashed with Whoopi and Joy, which led her to leave the show in August 2021.
While promoting her new film “Till” at the New York Film Festival last October, Whoopi told Page Six that “The View” has been “calmer” and less stressful without Meghan there. “It’s calmer because nobody wants to be that tired every day,” Whoopi said at the time and hinted that she wasn’t the only one who was glad that Meghan had left.
Last August, the former Fox News host appeared on “The Commentary Magazine Podcast” to talk about why she quit “The View.” Although things had been tense for months, it was actually a comment from Joy Behar made when she returned from maternity leave that made her realize that she needed to leave the show once and for all.
Meghan McCain Reveals She Quit ‘The View’ Because Joy Behat Made Her Cry!
In January 2021, Megan McCain returned to the show after giving birth to her daughter, Liberty. When she returned, Joy made a comment on air, telling her that she wasn’t missed while she was on maternity leave.
“I finally went back to the show, and the day I went back to the show, Joy Behar said on air, ‘Nobody missed you, we didn’t miss you, you shouldn’t have come back,’” Meghan recalled. “And I just … I started hysterically crying. Sorry gentlemen, I know, I started lactating on air, and I started crying.”
The new mom said that she felt so overwhelmed by the comment that she actually physically threw up after she left the stage. She called her brother to get advice on how to handle the situation, and he agreed that it was best if she quit the show.
“I didn’t feel supported when I had my baby, and I didn’t feel supported coming back, and that was ultimately it,” Meghan said. “That was why I left.”
‘The View’ Fills Meghan McCain’s Seat With Alyssa Farah Griffin And Ana Navarro
WELCOME TO ‘THE VIEW,’ ALYSSA! We are thrilled to welcome @Alyssafarah Griffin as a co-host of @TheView as we gear up for season 26! https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/QIjcB39a53
— The View (@TheView) August 4, 2022
In early August, “The View” announced that Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro would be joining the panel in season 26 to provide two new conservative voices to the show.
Alyssa Farah Griffin had previously served as Trump’s strategic communications director until she resigned in December 2020 and has since denounced the attack on the Capitol on January 6th. Although some fans were disappointed to see Alyssa joining the show, many welcomed Ana Navarro, who has been a vocal Trump critic.
