When the season 27 premiere of The View rolled around, fans were left scratching their heads when they noticed a major figure missing from the stage: Whoopi Goldberg. Joy Behar stepped up to fill in the gaps, sharing some details about her co-star’s health and giving everyone a timeline for her return. Let’s dive into what’s going on with Whoopi and why she’s not in front of the cameras right now.

What Happened to Whoopi Goldberg?

On September 5, Joy Behar took a moment at the top of the show to address Whoopi’s conspicuous absence as The View came back from its summer break. If you’re a regular viewer, you know just how integral Whoopi is to the show’s dynamic. Her absence was certainly felt, but Joy was quick to reassure everyone that everything is okay.

“For those of you wondering, yes, Whoopi is not here,” Joy explained with a mix of concern and humor. “She has contracted COVID-19 again. It’s back, folks, and it’s reminding us all that it’s still out there. But don’t worry—she’s on the mend. She’s at the tail end of her recovery, and we’re hoping she’ll be back this week. We’re sorry she’s not here today, especially for all the fans who were looking forward to seeing her.”

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Joining Joy for the new season were Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro. These ladies truly stepped up and carried the show with their usual charm and wit, ensuring that the absence of Whoopi didn’t leave a void in the conversation. Fans can rest assured that the show is in good hands while Whoopi takes the time she needs to recover.

This isn’t the first time Whoopi has had to sit out episodes of The View due to a bout with COVID-19. In January 2022, she tested positive, and then again in November of the same year. Despite being triple-vaccinated, Whoopi has openly discussed how the virus caught her off guard. “I was shocked,” she admitted earlier this year. “I hadn’t been anywhere, I hadn’t done anything. I thought I’d done everything I was supposed to do. But as we’ve all learned, vaccines don’t stop every variant, especially something as tricky as Omicron.”

Whoopi Goldberg Teases Exciting New Projects

Even while recovering from her latest bout of illness, Whoopi hasn’t let the downtime slow her down. Just a week before she missed the season premiere of The View, the EGOT-winning legend was spotted in Italy, enjoying some time with film producer Roberto Cipullo. Fans might be wondering if this means something big is on the horizon for Whoopi.

Roberto shared an Instagram photo from their meeting on August 29, captioning it, “And then when you’re finishing dinner with a Hollywood legend, a world music giant arrives and the evening becomes surreal. In Montecassiano, in the heart of Marche. Wonderful. And tomorrow it begins.” While Whoopi hasn’t spilled any specific details yet, her presence in Italy suggests she’s working on something exciting.

Whoopi Goldberg sits in chair and hold microphone — Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for FLC

While walking the streets in a stylish purple outfit, Whoopi was caught on camera by fans, but she hasn’t revealed much about her upcoming projects. For years, she’s been teasing fans with the possibility of Sister Act 3, the long-awaited third installment of her beloved film series. According to IMDb, the movie is currently slated for an August 2024 release.

During a November 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Whoopi shared some exciting updates. “The script just came in yesterday,” she said. “I really like it, you know, but there are a lot of adults who need to sign off on it. If they don’t get in the way, this could be something really special.” Fans are holding their breath, hoping that all the stars align for this highly anticipated sequel.