COVID may no longer be the national emergency it was for the last few years, but it continues to interrupt the lives of many, including stars like Whoopi Goldberg. The actress and host has contracted the virus for the third time and is once again absent from The View. The show had its 27th premiere this week and the 67-year-old had to sit it out.
“As you can see, Whoopi is not here. She has COVID. It’s back, it’s back!” her co-host Joy Behar shared with the audience.
The good news is that the actress is allegedly not down too bad and on her way to a full recovery. “She’s on the mend, she’s on the tail end and will probably be back this week. But sorry she’s not here, for those of you who were looking forward to seeing her,” Behar said.
Goldberg ended up doing a video call to debunk some wild theories about where she was and the state of her health.
“I am not at Burning Man. I am not still in Italy. I’m not trying to change the outcome of the election. I just have COVID,” she said.
“I’m still testing positive. I have to have a clear test before I can come back, so it might be a couple of days, but I’m really thrilled to see the beautiful new desk. I’m really thrilled to see all the beautiful women … I’m sending you all great love and can’t wait to get back to our favorite place, ‘The View.’”
In November 2022, the Ghost star was feeling under the weather before The View‘s Nov. 14 episode and later confirmed she had the virus. Co-host Sara Haines moderated the show in Goldberg’s place. In January 2022, the EGOT winner also came down with it.
Recently, there’s been a rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations, and a new variant known as Pirola, but the virus isn’t as detrimental as it once was.
Goldberg became one of the hosts of the long-running show in 2007. In September of 2021, Variety announced that she bagged a multi-year deal and that would remain on The View through Season 28. That isn’t all the multi-talented legend does, however; she is still very much active in her acting bag.
She was a producer and played Emmett Till’s grandmother in Till, which released 2022. The star also shared earlier this year that she’d be voicing a character in the upcoming animated film, Asali: Power of the Pollinators. We wish her a speedy recovery.