Joy Behar Returns to The View After Dislocated Shoulder Injury

Comedian Joy Behar returned to the ABC talk show The View on Tuesday, October 28, following a month-long hiatus caused by a backstage fall that resulted in a dislocated shoulder, RadarOnline.com reported. The 84-year-old co-host received a standing ovation from the studio audience as she walked to the Hot Topics table with co-host Sara Haines, entering to Elton John’s 1974 single “The B—- Is Back.”

Behar last appeared on the program on September 30 before sustaining the injury backstage in the building. Co-host Sunny Hostin first announced the injury to viewers during the October 1 broadcast, and the absence extended through October 7, when the show celebrated Behar’s 84th birthday. Her recovery period also included a two-week break prior to her hiatus that she spent in London working on her play, My First Ex-Husband.

Compares Fall Pain to Childbirth and Interrogation

Describing the severity of her injury to the audience, Behar stated that she went down hard in the studio building and compared the physical toll to childbirth. “I dislocated my shoulder. I don’t know if that’s ever happened to anybody, but it’s worse than childbirth.” She added that the discomfort felt like intense interrogation, telling her co-hosts that she would have given up names to the CIA under similar duress.

Goldberg shared a statement from Behar earlier in the month regarding her healing process, in which Behar joked about her age slowing down her recovery. “If I was still 21, I’d have bounced back the next day,” Behar said in the statement. “But, since I’m an old bat, recuperating takes a bit longer.” Goldberg emphasized the absence’s impact on the panel, telling viewers, “You know, we’re together a lot, and so when one of us is not around, you feel it.” Haines added that the cast functions like a family experiencing life’s ups and downs together.

Firing Rumors Dismissed and Return to Hot Topics

The return to the talk show follows reports that circulated days prior suggesting Behar could potentially be fired from the program. A representative for The View quickly shut down the speculation, confirming that the long-running panelist remains with the show. Behar immediately resumed discussing Hot Topics, expressing regret over missing recent segments—including commentary on President Donald Trump—and quickly returning to her usual comedic style.

Behar has been a fixture of The View since its 1997 premiere as part of the original panel assembled by Barbara Walters. After departing in 2013 and returning in 2015, she holds the title of the show’s longest-serving co-host. Earlier in the current season, the program recognized her as the longest-running female host of an American television talk show, having appeared across 28 of the show’s 30 seasons.