Whoopi Goldberg is temporarily stepping away from her hosting duties on The View as she takes on an exciting new acting project, and the news has already sparked plenty of reactions online.
The longtime co-host revealed the upcoming change during the Sept. 16 episode of Behind the Table, where she spoke with The View executive producer Brian Teta about her temporary absence.
“We’re going to lose you for a couple of days,” Teta told Goldberg, explaining that she would be stepping away from the show because “you’re going to be doing this movie.”
Women Are Swapping Their Boring Water For This Ice Pop Electrolyte Mix!
Whoopi Goldberg Steps Away From 'The View' Temporarily
The 70-year-old is currently filming Netflix’s upcoming comedy Women Like Us, which features an all-star cast including Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams and Vivica A. Fox.
The movie follows a recently widowed woman who is taken to the Hamptons by her sister and longtime friends during what would have been her 30th wedding anniversary. The trip ultimately becomes an emotional journey filled with grief, laughter and friendship.
While the actress won't be completely absent from The View, viewers will see her less frequently over the next several weeks.
“You’re going to be gone over the next two weeks but you’ll be here on Mondays,” Teta explained. “And the next few weeks, we’re going to have filling in for you, some of our friends, former co-hosts of The View.”
Several former co-hosts are expected to step in during Goldberg’s mid-week absences, including Star Jones, Lisa Ling, Sherri Shepherd and Debbie Matenopoulos.
Joy Behar will continue to moderate the conversations while Goldberg is away.
“Joy’s up for it,” Teta said. “She’s always excited to moderate.”
The Internet Reacts
However, some viewers online appeared pleased by the news of Goldberg’s temporary break from The View, with several critics revisiting past controversies involving the longtime host.
The Sister Act alum has faced backlash over several comments throughout her tenure, including remarks about the Holocaust that resulted in her suspension from the show. She has also drawn criticism for comments about identifying as a working-class person, which some viewers described as out of touch.
"Good riddance, her views on The View, killed her credibility a long time ago," said one person on X.
Another commented, "Don’t come back, no one will care."
"Tell her to take as long as she needs," someone else added.
Whoopi has been a familiar face on The View for nearly two decades. She joined the daytime talk show as its moderator in September 2007 and has since become the longest-serving full-time co-host in the show’s history.
