Joy Behar Addresses Rumor about Leaving 'The View' after Show Sent Her on Fabulous $14,000 Holiday

Joy Behar has been a host on "The View" for decades. With her contract set to expire in the summer, rumors have become rife about her possible retirement. Is the veteran panelist on her way out?

Josephine Victoria "Joy" Behar, referred to as Joy Behar, is a comedian, television host, actress, and writer. She started her career in show business in the early 1980s as a receptionist and later a producer on "Good Morning America."

Over the years, she began landing roles in film, appearing as Gertrude in the comedy-drama "Hiding Out," as Dr. Lucy in Hall Pass, as Joy Capedeluca in the series "The Rock" and even as the voice of the ground sloth Eunice in the animated adventure comedy "Ice Age: Continental Drift."

And while she has been a constant on TV and film, her most extended role has been as a host on the ABC daytime talk show "The View" since it debuted in 1997. Many others joined her along the way but have left, and she remains the only original host still on the show.

A TOUR AROUND BEHAR'S 4,500-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE

Besides Behar, the show's current hosts include Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines. Over the years, the team has kept viewers informed and entertained on current trending topics.

One of the many daytime-talk-shows on TV, "The View," has bagged numerous accolades and honors. Among them are 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, which include Outstanding Talk Show, Outstanding Informative Talk Show, and three NAACP Image Awards, among many others.

For this, the hosts do not go home empty-handed. They are some of the highest-paid talk show hosts on daytime television. Based on a report by Celebrity Net Worth, Behar has a net worth of $30 million, thanks to her generous salary of $7 million.

Behar is not one to let her bucks lie unused in the bank. In 2016, she put her money to good use when she purchased a $4.7 million Victorian-style house in chi-chi Sag Harbor.

The 4,500-square-foot luxurious home boasts four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and one-half bathroom. It also features a fabulous formal lounge and a casual sitting area.

The luxury gourmet kitchen opens up into a cozy sitting area with a fireplace, while the dining room allows space for ten people to sit comfortably. The beautifully restored home also features an extensive garden on the half-acre of land.

JOY BEHAR SHARES HER LUXURY HOUSE AND LIFE

Behar bought the Sag Harbor home after selling her property in nearby East Hampton, New York, that same year. She listed the house for $3.8 million but chopped the price down to $3.45 million.

The 4,000 square-foot abode she purchased in 2012 for $2.875 million boasts several cozy features sitting on a plot just under an acre. The two-story house showcases five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

Constant features around the home include marble counters and large windows allowing plenty of natural light on the ground level. The over 100-year-old house also boasts gorgeous vaulted ceilings and stainless steel kitchen fixtures.

To get to the kitchen, one has to go through French doors into a white kitchen with a voodoo-doll-like knife holder displayed on her counter. The sprawling entertainment room features personal artwork that pays homage to a street in Brooklyn where Behar grew up.

$14,000 A NIGHT VACATION FROM "THE VIEW" CAUSED A SCANDAL

While "The View" has been both entertaining and educative, the hosts have faced some of the most vicious scandals and controversies of daytime television. It is no wonder the team chose to spend a few nights at one of the most luxurious resorts in Nassau, Bahamas if only to unwind.

The hosts stayed at the Rosewood, the most expensive hotel of the three — Rosewood, Grand Hyatt, and SLS — at Baha Mar. The hotel boasts oceanside six-bedroom villas setting customers back $14,358 a night.

Despite the much-needed getaway, the hosts faced backlash for touting their stay at the resort. Some viewers felt it was inappropriate for them to "waste" money on a luxury vacation.

They shared their sentiments about how the panelists chose to spend that much money while people worldwide were hungry, unable to put food on their tables, or even afford gas and other basics.

However, even in the face of criticism, a spokesman for "The View" came forward to set the record straight, telling the New York Post: "No one was staying in a $14K per night penthouse. This story is false and made up."

WILL JOY BEHAR LEAVE "THE VIEW" FOR THE SAKE OF HER FAMILY?

Behar has been on "The View" for the past several decades, and in the wake of her approaching 80th birthday, many speculate that she will hang her hosting coat and call it a day.

The rumors claimed that Behar's contract with ABC expires this summer, and the veteran panelist could be getting ready to announce her retirement. However, a rep for the show has shut down the rumors calling them "fake news."

Behar may have unknowingly perpetuated the rumors by saying it was unlikely she would sign a new contract with ABC in 2022. She told reporter Ramin Setoodeh in 2020, as per The New York Post:

"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 it, but the chances of that happening … You know, time marches on. I'm not a kid."

However, a rep disclosed that she did sign a new three-year contract to see her sit on the panel until 2025. How much ABC has forked out to Behar on the new agreement remains unclear.

What remains clear as day is that her fans will enjoy another three years with her on the show. One of the most successful panelists on the show, Behar has also had a successful life away from the screens.

She is a mother of one, Eve, who she shares with her first husband, college professor Joe Behar. Eve is an artist and a former television producer who lives in New York City.

After her first marriage failed, she married her second husband, Steve Janowitz. The two were together before walking down the aisle in 2011. Behar enjoys being a wife, mom, and grandmom to her grandson Luca.