Whoopi Goldberg was noticeably absent from the Season 27 premiere of “The View” because she tested positive for COVID-19.
“As you can see, Whoopi is not here. She has COVID,” her co-host Joy Behar explained during Tuesday’s episode of the ABC morning talk show, assuring the audience that their usual moderator, 67, is “on the mend.”
“She’s on the tail end, and she’ll probably be back this week,” Behar added. “But sorry she’s not here, for those of you who were looking forward to seeing her.”
The only original “View” star, 80, went on to joke about her tenure on the program, saying at the top of the Hot Topics segment, “This is the premiere show of our 27th year on the air. I was here for all of it except for two — when they canned me, when they sacked my behind.”
Behar’s Season 26 co-hosts — Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin — all returned to the table for the new season.
Goldberg, for her part, holds the title of second longest standing panelist, as she joined the show in 2007.
While the “Sister Act” star has been battling COVID, she’s also been hitting back at rumors about her sexual orientation.
Late last month, Raven-Symoné — who starred on “The View” as a series regular from 2015 to 2016 — admitted she had a crush on Goldberg during that time.
“Honestly, when I was around you, I loved you so much. Like, I just wanted to be up underneath the titty the whole time,” the openly gay “That’s So Raven” star, 37, confessed during an episode of “The Best Podcast Ever with Raven and Miranda.”
“But that’s also because you just kind of gave me lesbian vibes!”
Though flattered, Goldberg used the opportunity to set the record straight — literally.
“Women have been asking me this for as long as I’ve been around,” she replied. “I am not a lesbian. But I know lots of them, and I’ve played them on television.”
