Joy Behar was absent during Carrie Underwood's recent interview on 'The View,' prompting fans to bring up their feud following Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration.
Joy Behar Skips Carrie Underwood’s Interview on ‘The View’ - Is Their 2025 Donald Trump Feud to Blame?
On Tuesday, March 24, fans noticed something strange on The View, as co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines, who had been seen chatting and reacting to headlines on the show, were missing later. It was particularly the timing of their absence that gained attention.
As the episode featured a big interview with American Idol stars Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, the two hosts seemed to take a leave of absence. Meanwhile, their sudden disappearance led people to wonder if it had something to do with Behar criticizing Underwood the previous year.
Behar Had Voiced Her Opposition to Underwood
An Instagram post showing Joy Behar posing with 'The View' co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Much to people's curiosity, what looked like a simple seat change on The View turned out to get a lot more attention. As Behar and Haines quietly stepped away from the table just before the big interview, the timing raised eyebrows.
The show welcomed Underwood, along with Richie and Bryan, and the segment went on smoothly. However, viewers couldn't ignore Behar's absence, especially after her past comments about Underwood.
In early 2025, Behar openly disagreed with Underwood's decision to perform at Trump's second presidential inauguration. She said she personally "would not normalize" Trump by dignifying his ceremony with a performance.
"I wouldn't do it — even though I cannot sing," Behar said, adding, "I would not normalize him. She says, 'I love our country.' How do you love your country and support and normalize somebody who was a convicted felon, who really wants to destroy the country, in my opinion?"
Behar further added, "I don't understand how you say you love your country at the same time as you normalize this convicted felon." She continued, "I personally would not do it. No one's asked me, but that's another story."
However, the moment sparked backlash, including strong words from Behar's co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who defended Underwood in an X post. "That @TheView @JoyVBehar needs to simmer down off my friend," Hasselbeck wrote.
She defended Underwood and told Behar to "simmer down," while praising the singer as an "incredible woman" on her Instagram story. And now, it seems, the tension from that moment hasn't fully faded, leading people to assume that Joy Behar's brief exit during Underwood's appearance on The View was perhaps because of this altercation.
'The View' Dismissed Behar’s Absence as 'Production Decision'
Even though fans thought something dramatic had happened, things quickly went back to normal. By the end of the episode, Behar returned to her seat at The View table, taking the show back to its normal tone.
Moderator Whoopi Goldberg then shared a quick update, telling the audience that Behar would appear later on the show’s companion podcast, Behind the Table. Following Behar's absence and Goldberg’s comment, a source close to the show confided in Entertainment Weekly about what actually happened.
They claimed it was just a “production decision,” as the space became tight with the three guests joining the table. So, according to the source, Behar stepping away wasn’t related to any friction between her and Underwood.