Everyone views these moments as controversial. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for “The View’s” most scandalous moments since its 1997 premiere. Our countdown includes Rosie vs. Elisabeth, #NursesUnite, Star Jones quits on air, and more!( SCROLL DOWN FOR THE VIDEO)
#20: Star Jones Quits on Air
In the show’s ninth season, original panelist Star Jones shocked her co-stars by announcing her exit from the series. Behind the scenes, she had been told her contract would not be renewed for the next season. Rather than go along with the network’s timeline, Jones broke the news during a live taping two days before the official announcement was to be made. Her co-hosts, particularly Joy Behar, look totally shocked and confused by the whole thing. Executive producer and co-host Barbara Walters was especially unhappy. Though Jones was supposed to stay with the show for another month, during the next episode Walters told the audience she felt “betrayed” by the premature announcement, and the controversial episode would be Jones’ last.
#19: Meghan’s Choice Word
Tired of being what she called the “sacrificial Republican” on the panel, Meghan McCain lost her cool with co-host Joy Behar on this 2019 episode. In an argument over former President Donald Trump, unsurprisingly, the two got into one of their characteristic ideological duels. But when Behar got a little sarcastic with McCain, the conservative panelist shot back with the word in question. Co-host Sunny Hostin was clearly ruffled by it, but McCain doubled down, saying that she and Behar trade that word back and forth all the time. It shocked a lot of viewers, but Behar seemed completely unbothered.
#18: Ann Coulter Says Liberals Don’t Care About Black People
No stranger to controversy herself, inflammatory conservative author and frequent Fox News guest Ann Coulter made waves with her September 2012 appearance on “The View.” Promoting her new book on what she calls “race-mongering” among liberal politicians, she made a bold and provoking statement. The two African American panelists, Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd, took particular umbridge with her generalizations. After getting stuck in the mire of an argument about politicians who lived more than a century ago, co-host Whoopi Goldberg’s response eventually had to be bleeped.
#17: Wedding Cake Discrimination
While discussing the right of a business to refuse service based on religious affiliation, two former sitcom stars got into a heated argument about a wedding cake and all that it symbolizes. Co-hosts Raven-Symoné and Candace Cameron Bure’s discussion about a bakery that was fined for refusing to provide a cake for a same-sex wedding made headlines due to how polarizing it was. Even once co-host Nicole Wallace stepped in to reframe the argument, it was clear the two were still heated. Without speaking, they still managed to steal the show in a hilarious cutaway.
#16: Kate Gosselin Breaks Her Custody Agreement
During Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s 2009 maternity leave, reality star Kate Gosselin was one of several rotating guest hosts. But on this episode, she became a hot topic herself. In the aftermath of the divorce that rocked the reality program “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” Gosselin came under fire from co-star Whoopi Goldberg for breaching her custody agreement. Gosselin gave a contradictory and naive story about the night she interrupted her ex-husband’s court-allotted night with their children, but Whoopi wasn’t having it. She brought the hammer down on Gosselin, sounding more like Judge Judy than a co-host of “The View.”
#15: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Makes Light of Stalking
Elisabeth Hasselbeck landed herself in hot water during a 2010 taping of “The View.” Sportscaster Erin Andrews had been stalked and filmed without her permission months prior. In response, Hasselbeck joked that the stalker could have waited a few months to watch her on “Dancing with the Stars” if he wanted to see more of her body. The insinuation that Andrews’ choice to wear revealing costumes on TV was equivalent to being spied on by a stalker did not go down well with the co-hosts, the audience, or Andrews herself. After invoking a firestorm of controversy, Hasselbeck offered a weepy, on-air apology the next day.
#14: Debating the N-Word
A report that Jesse Jackson had used the N-word in a hot mic moment touched off yet another intense debate among “The View’s” co-hosts. Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s contention that the word should never be used by members of any race did not sit well with Sherri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi’s patience in the moment is kind of miraculous, given how she’s tried to be as respectful as she can in explaining herself. Despite her claim that she wanted to understand their point of view, Hasselbeck seemed determined not to listen, ending the conversation on the verge of tears once again.
#13: Raven-Symoné’s Hiring Practices
The Hot Topics segment on this October 2015 episode included a study on how people make racist assumptions based on people’s names. For the hosts, this study brought to mind a viral video. Raven-Symoné could barely keep it together. Through laughter, she announced to everyone watching that she would not hire someone with a name like, for instance, “Watermelondrea.” The silence was deafening, but the controversy that ensued was not. On a later episode, frequent guest Ann Coulter even threw in her two cents. You know you messed up when Ann Coulter can roast you and “The View” audience stays quiet.
#12: Raven-Symoné Defends Racist Comments
In 2015, Venezuelan TV show host Rodner Figueroa was fired from his network after joking that Michelle Obama looked like a character from “Planet of the Apes.” It was an incredibly racist comment that generated a ton of ire from the public, but the controversy didn’t stop there. “The View’s” Rosie Perez declared on the show that the Latin community is racist. Guest star Raven-Symoné pounced on this discussion by then saying, “some people [naturally] look like animals.” This whole debacle was deeply steeped in racism that made no one look good.
#11: #NursesUnite
If you don’t want to cause a stir, maybe don’t insult an entire occupation. The story begins at a Miss America competition. Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, a nurse specializing in Alzheimer’s Disease, appeared on stage in her uniform and performed a heartbreaking monologue about one of her patients and the meaning of her job. While discussing the monologue on “The View,” Michelle Collins said that Kelley had basically just “read her emails” on stage while Joy Behar asked why Kelley had a DOCTOR’s stethoscope around her neck. The outrage was immediate, with nurses creating.
#10: Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s Backstage Tirade
Preceding the release of “Ladies Who Punch,” Ramin Setoodeh’s nonfiction book about “The View,” audio leaked of an expletive-laden tirade from former co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. After a heated debate about the morning-after pill in 2006, Hasselbeck was so outraged by Barbara Walters’ comments that she stormed off set. The audio of the backstage meltdown surfaced over a decade later. She loses her cool after being reprimanded by Walters, and insists she’s not returning to the show… before ultimately returning to the show. Hasselbeck’s assertion that she doesn’t swear is made ironically funny given how many times she dropped the F-bomb in a two-minute period. When the audio leaked, Hasselbeck released an apology, explaining that she was pregnant at the time.
#9: Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust Comments
In a 2022 episode, the panelists were talking about the banning of books in schools, particularly books that deal with racism, the Holocaust, and supposed adult themes. Mid-discussion, Whoopi Goldberg stated that the Holocaust was not about race. Aside from the inaccuracy of the comment, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Though Goldberg tried to clarify her statements, she issued a live apology the next day. The moment made national headlines, and Goldberg received a tide of criticism from all corners. She was personally suspended by ABC News president Kim Godwin, and was relieved of her hosting duties for two weeks.
#8: Whoopi Goldberg Defends Mel Gibson
In 2010, Gibson was caught in a vicious feud with his partner, Oksana Grigorieva. In one particularly hateful voicemail, Gibson spouted something so horrific we can’t repeat it here. He also allegedly referred to one of his employees as a slur against Mexican people. While the outrage was immediate, Whoopi Goldberg defended Gibson on “The View,” saying that she personally knows him and that he is not a racist. This in turn led to more outrage, as people decried Whoopi for defending Gibson after he said such awful and clearly racist things. Joy Behar put it best when she said, “That language certainly sounds racist to me.”
#7: Raven-Symoné Defends an Abusive Cop’s Actions
Raven-Symoné is at it again, this time defending an abusive cop. In 2015, a video surfaced of a police officer violently taking down a student after she refused to get off her phone in class. Many people called the reaction unnecessary and excessive, and the officer was promptly fired. Raven-Symoné chimed in during the aftershow titled “After the View”and said that the student should have just followed the rules and put her phone away. While she did condemn the officer’s actions, many saw it as an example of victim blaming. People were outraged, and a Change.org petition was created calling for Raven-Symoné to be fired. It received 130,000 signatures in five days.
#6: Whoopi Goldberg’s Spat with Jeanine Pirro
Republican TV personality Jeanine Pirro, host of Fox News’ “Justice with Judge Jeanine” appeared on “The View” for just a few minutes before her segment was cut when she upset Whoopi Goldberg. During her appearance, Pirro covered a host of topics –defending the Russia–United States Helsinki summit, blaming Obama for everything, and telling Whoopi that she had a nonsense illness called Trump Derangement Syndrome. After Pirro began saying horrible things about immigration, Whoopi swiftly said goodbye (literally) and the other hosts brought the interview to a close. You don’t always have to respect everyone’s opinions!
#5: Whoopi Goldberg & Joy Behar Walk Out on Bill O’Reilly
This was another instance where Whoopi Goldberg’s difference of opinion with a Fox News star caused a stir. While visiting “The View” in October 2010, Bill O’Reilly made a few enemies with his controversial political comments. The topic was Park51, a proposed Islamic community center that was to be built just down the street from Ground Zero. Bill told the cast that “70% of Americans don’t want [the] mosque,” without citing a source; however, it’s actually from a CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll. Bill went on with derogatory comments, prompting Whoopi to curse at Bill before walking offstage with Joy in disgust. They eventually returned, and Bill clarified his comment, but the damage had already been done.
#4: Rosie vs. Elisabeth
This one is a nice mix of controversy and painful awkwardness. The episode that aired on May 23, 2007 is probably one of the most famous episodes in “The View’s” history, prompted by a long-standing rivalry between Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The topic was the Iraq war, and liberal Rosie and conservative Elisabeth were quickly at each other’s throats. It swiftly erupted into a massive fight that resulted in Joy and Sherri pretending to walk offstage and asking for a commercial break to diffuse the tension. Executive producer Bill Geddie later admitted that “it was a horrible day to be in ‘The View’ studio.” We can only imagine.
#10: “If You Can’t Handle a Fart, You Can’t Handle Me.”
Whoopi does a whoopee. Not just once but twice. Host Whoopi Goldberg has never let live television blunt the course of nature. During Claire Danes’ appearance on ‘The View’ in 2011, some unexpected wind sent the audience into hysterics. Serious talk cut short when Goldberg quipped: [SB: “Excuse me, I think I just blew a little frog outta there.”] After another incident, Goldberg explained that she was covering up for an unplanned sound effect, but then unabashedly embraced it: [SB: “If you can’t handle a fart, you can’t handle me.”]! It was maybe a little uncomfortable for some at the table, judging from the sheafs of paper being fanned, but she certainly did own it.
#9: Raven Symoné Takes Pause
Working as a talk show host is not always an enviable job. No one’s perfect and you’re bound to misstep, leaving room for what you say to come back to haunt you. Host Symoné felt the sting first-hand when notorious political commentator Ann Coulter returned to ‘The View’ in 2015 to promote her latest book. Known for stirring the pot with hateful rhetoric, Coulter came prepared to attack. Symoné took the bait, seeking to stamp out Coulter’s inflammatory statements on immigration with: [SB: “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”] Coulter’s response? [SB: “I’m at least talking about policy. You have a position on what people’s names should be. ‘Watermelondrea’. I mean, you’ll insult people for their names.”] Symoné quickly chose silence, realizing it was perhaps her only option. The awkward look on her face says it all.
#8: Whoopi Goldberg Defends Mel Gibson
In 2010, heinous audio recordings were released of actor Mel Gibson verbally abusing his then-partner, Oksana Grigorieva. It was far from the first time he’d made discriminating comments, and public response was unanimous in condemning his threatening and racist language. Naturally, it was discussed on ‘The View’, with Joy Behar taking a firm ‘buh-bye’ stance on the matter. However, co-host Goldberg had her own take to contribute in his defense, arguing that she knew Gibson personally and he wasn’t racist. Standing at complete odds to the reality of his words, this was an awkward statement to make. Behar responded succinctly, saying: [SB: “Well, that language certainly sounded racist to me.”]
#7: The Miss America Backlash
Joy faded quickly after she and co-host Michelle Collins made fun of a Miss America candidate in 2015. Nurse Kelley Johnson, aka Miss Colorado, took to the stage for the talent portion of the pageant to speak passionately about her work with an Alzheimer’s patient. What she didn’t expect was that heartfelt disclosure would lead to primetime mockery of her wearing a stethoscope … The backlash was instant, with online users rushing to champion a burgeoning #nursesunite movement. Advertisers Johnson & Johnson and Eggland’s Best pulled their spots in support. Collins and Behar walked their comments back, with Behar admitting she thought the outfit had been a “costume”. SB [“One thing that became abundantly clear this week was that nurses wear stethoscopes…”] Yes. Yes, they do.
#6: Joy Behar Didn’t Miss Meghan McCain
Ah, the McCain and Behar saga. Soap opera lovers know at some point to expect an evil twin reveal. Lovers of ‘The View’ know it’s only a matter of time before McCain and Behar come to… well, metaphorical blows. The dissent between these co-hosts ranges from heated disagreements, to open insults. Remember when Behar quipped that at least she and the previous conservative seat, Elisabeth Hasselbeck never fought off-stage? Well in 2021, she decided to get going with a bang. On day two after McCain returned from maternity leave and suggested Behar had missed her, the latter remarked very plainly that she did not. Awkward…
#5: Rielle Hunter Gets a Grilling
Star politician John Edwards found his reputation tarnished with the revelation of his extra-marital affair with Hunter in 2008. The presidential hopeful vehemently denied his infidelity and child with the film producer for years, while his wife Elizabeth was battling breast cancer, to which she eventually succumbed. This was publicly unforgivable. Hunter appeared on The View in 2012 to promote her tell-all book, in which she was highly critical of Elizabeth. Her angle for a comeback did not go according to plan, with the hosts calmly but pointedly posing awkwardly illuminating questions.
#4: Star Jones Quits Live On Air
One of the OG hosts of ‘The View’, Jones was told that after nine years, her contract would not be renewed. When she announced her departure in an emotional statement on-air, her co-hosts were blindsided by the disclosure, which came two days sooner than planned. This led ABC and Barbara Walters to reference her lack of transparency and bench Jones, effective immediately. In the years since, the network cited diminishing public approval as contributing factors to the decision, after Jones misled viewers about her weight loss, and plugged products that she benefited from promoting. Perhaps what was most awkward was Jones’ return to ‘The View’ in 2012. She clearly did not want to talk about bygones, but… Walters insisted. Yikes.
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#3: Joy Behar’s Halloween Photo
While Behar discussed a New York Times op-ed championing naturally curly hair in 2016, viewers got to see a questionable photo of her from the 1970s. While it was intended to showcase Behar in all her curly glory, viewers and co-hosts alike were taken aback by her seemingly darker skin. Behar explained that she was dressed for a Halloween party, which included dark makeup. Obviously, this led to accusations of blackface. In 2020, this was dredged up again when Kim Klacik referenced the photo to dodge a question from Behar. However you put it, it’s just… not comfortable.
#2: Whoopi Goldberg & Rosie O’Donnell Throw Down
The hosts of ‘The View’ found themselves watching a shouting match between Goldberg and O’Donnell during a Hot Topics segment in 2014. Under discussion was the Obamas’ statement that they’d been mistaken for valets and store attendants. The table entered into fierce conversation, with some believing it was due to lack of attention. O’Donnell however, argued that this was symptomatic of racism. Goldberg was infuriated, staunch about the country being more layered. The temperature quickly rose: [SB:“You are a white lady telling me what is racist!”] The two had at it as their shocked co-hosts looked on. Goldberg did settle down to explain to viewers that contention is what the show is all about, but O’Donnell was visibly ruffled.
#1: “Who Will Clean Your Toilets?”
Our crowning glory is a passionate defense gone SO wrong. In 2015, while discussing Donald Trump’s lead in the polls, Kelly Osbourne made an odious comment rebuking his attitude towards immigrants: [SB: “If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?”] From the look on her face, and the reaction of her co-hosts, she got the sinking feeling very quickly that what she said was… more than misguided. Whatever the intention, her words were unnecessary, and played to stereotypes about the Latinx community in the United States. It was a moment that was more than uncomfortable, sparking a considerable backlash. Osbourne quickly apologized on social media, but it didn’t take away the sting.
