The View co-host Joy Behar came under fire after comments she made about co-host Whoopi Goldberg’s hair.
Her comments occurred during a Wednesday episode of the show when Sir Patrick Stewart came on to invite Goldberg to be part of the new Star Trek series. “I just said to him, ‘Does she have to take the hair thing off?'” Behar said as she grabbed Goldberg’s dreadlocks. She then quoted Stewart, saying, “She can do whatever she wants.” The comments elicited awkward laughter from the other hosts but brought condemnation online, with some calling the remark “racist.”
“Not enough ppl are talking about how Joy Behar spoke about then touched Whoopi’s hair on The View,” Jamaican American activist Leslie Mac tweeted on Thursday. “I keep replaying it in my mind & how casually this act was carried out on live TV. I’m sure Whoopi doesn’t give a shit and they homegirls or whatever. I still hate to see it.”
Mac went on to call Behar’s action “f—ing ridiculous” and “disgusting.” Filmmaker Jeremiah Warren said the host was “lucky to still have her whole hand” after grabbing Goldberg’s hair.
[Read more:The View comes to awkward close after Joy Behar argues with former co-host over Ted Cruz’s faith]
Not enough ppl are talking about how Joy Behar spoke about then touched Whoopi’s hair on The View. I keep replaying it in my mind & how casually this act was carried out on live tv. I’m sure Whoopi doesn’t give a shit and they homegirls or whatever. I still hate to see it.
— Leslie Mac (@LeslieMac) January 23, 2020
But the way she picked up that single loc like it wasn’t attached to a woman’s actual head was beyond for me. Just disgusting. Esp followed by Megan McCain’s incredulity that Whoopi would be emotional – “you’re never emotional!” Bitch she can’t be like you – that’s YOUR privilege
— Leslie Mac (@LeslieMac) January 23, 2020
Joy Behar is lucky to still have her whole hand. https://t.co/ZZrmadcYoa pic.twitter.com/59SxLXtl7E
— ? Jeremiah Warren ? (@jeremiahjw) January 22, 2020
Joy Behar is a POS racist.
Whoopi Goldberg is invited back to Star Trek, and JB ask Sir Patrick Stewart to tell her she has to get rid of her hair style.
“She can be whatever the hell she wants,” is the immediate and passionate response from the delightful Sir Patrick Stewart. https://t.co/oBCkuruvSD
— MamalehChaverta (@MamalehC) January 23, 2020
Journalist Ja’han Jones praised Stewart’s response to Behar’s remark, saying he was “being a real one” for defending Goldberg’s hair.
Wait what did I just watch. Did joy behar just grab whoopi’s hair and say “hair thing”
Pstew, out here preserving his youth by being nonproblematic ?
— Kimmy Yam (@kimmythepooh) January 24, 2020
Behar, 77, has a history of making inflammatory comments on the show. On Thursday’s show, the host compared Republicans to Benedict Arnold. Earlier this month, the host was criticized after she praised white nationalist Richard Spencer for ending his support for President Trump.
In November, Don Trump Jr. went on the show and accused Behar of wearing blackface. Goldberg came to Behar’s defense, claiming, “She was not in blackface. … Sorry, being black, I recognize blackface.” Behar mentioned earlier in the year that she had worn “darker” makeup when she dressed as a “beautiful African woman” back when she was 29.
