Joy Behar And Meghan McCain’s ‘The View’ Feud Isn’t The Show’s Most Outrageous

It didn’t take long for the drama to stir up between Meghan McCain and Joy Behar after the former finally returned to “The View” after three-month maternity leave.

The two co-hosts often butt heads on the show, and shortly after McCain’s 2021 return, they showed they were once again set to do that after McCain’s absence, with a spar during the “Hot Topics” segment of the show. As Behar discussed politics, noting divisions in the Republican party, McCain interjected with her own thoughts on the topic, noting that there are divisions within the Democratic party as well.

Things got a bit heated, ending with sarcastic comments from both, with McCain telling her co-host that it was clear she had missed her while she was away, and Behar seriously responding “I did not miss you. Zero.” McCain then referred to the comment as nasty and rude before Whoopi Goldberg jumped in and changed the direction of the conversation.

The two have infamously butted heads since McCain joined the fold in 2017, sparring numerous times, including once in 2019, where McCain cursed at Behar during an altercation. However, while their arguments have certainly made headlines over the years, their spats aren’t even some of the biggest ones that have occurred—either on-air or behind-the-scenes. In fact, the show, which has been airing on ABC since 1997, is known for its arguments between co-hosts—of which there have been 22 over the years, many of whom had one-year stints.

Check out some of the most infamous feuds below:

Rosie O’Donnell And Whoopi Goldberg:

In the 2019 book “Ladies who Punch: The explosive Inside Story Of The View,” by Ramin Setoodeh, it was revealed that O’Donnell’s second stint as a host on the show proved to expose the tensions between her and Goldberg, which had first simmered when she initially appeared on the show. According to the book, suggestions she made regarding the show behind-the-scenes were shut down by her co-host, and eventually, the tension became palpable on screen.

“Whoopi Goldberg was as mean as anyone has ever been on television to me, personally—while I was sitting there,” she recalled in the book. “Worse than Fox News. The worst experience I’ve ever had on live television was interacting with her.”

Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback:

The clashes between McCain and Behar certainly aren’t the first time political opponents have clashed on the show, with feuds often creeping up in the early 2000s as O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback clashed over their different ideals. Things came to a head between them in May 2007, after O’Donnell accused Hasselback of not defending her against media criticism from right-wing pundits, and the drama played out in a screaming match on live TV. O’Donnell then exited the show earlier than planned as a result.

Jenny McCarthy, Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg

Jenny McCarthy’s time on “The View” may have been short-lived, but she had plenty to say about it when it came to Setoodeh’s book, suggesting that not only did she have feuds with Goldberg and Barbara Walters, but that the other two women were also engaged in disputes as well.

Among the feuds McCarthy discussed were ones she had with Walters over outfits (with the veteran host reportedly ordering her to change if she didn’t like what she was wearing), as well as her claims that she felt vaccines had made her son autistic and that she was trying to help heal him.

She also detailed that both Walters and Goldberg were often at odds regarding who would serve as a moderator on the show, indicating that Goldberg would sometimes overrule her co-star.

“The table reminds me a little bit of ‘Survivor.’ There was a war between Barbara and Whoopi about Barbara wanting to moderate,” she recalled. “This is one of the reasons I decided not to ally with Whoopi. It broke my heart when Barbara would shuffle to Whoopi and say, ‘Can I moderate please?’ And Whoopi would say no.”

Meghan McCain and Abby Huntsman

After Abby Huntsman left the show in 2020 due to wanting to help her father’s political campaign for governor of Utah, some reports claimed a variety of other reasons for her departure. Not only was it reported that she had issues with the management of the show, but she was also allegedly involved in a feud with McCain, something the latter addressed during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Life with Andy Cohen.”

“We did get in a fight, which is a very small fight and a friend fight,” McCain said at the time. “All friendships have ups and downs and it was sort of bizarre to me, and I think bizarre to her, to have the fact that we got in one fight in the two years we’ve worked together on the show to be put under dissection in the media, to be weaponized.”

“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. EST on ABC.