Whoopi Missing From 'The View': Goldberg Stranded in Italy After Volcano Eruption — As 2 Other Co-Hosts Also Bail on Show
Whoopi Goldberg was not present on 'The View' on July 6.
July 6 2026, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Whoopi Goldberg had a wild explanation for why she was missing from The View, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On the Monday, July 6, installment of the hit morning show, a pre-recorded video from Goldberg revealed that she was stranded in Italy after a shocking natural disaster threw a wrench in her plans to return to the U.S. after the holidays.
Joy Behar Fills in
Michelle Buteau helped fill in for the missing co-hosts on 'The View.'
The first sign something was awry came when Joy Behar – who usually doesn't film on Mondays – was at the panel alongside Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sunny Hostin and guest-turned-guest-host Michelle Buteau.
"Hello, everybody. So you may be asking, ‘Why am I here on a Monday?’ I asked myself the same question," Behar joked. "But Brian (Teta) begged me to come in — on his knees, where he belongs. Why? Because we are down three cohosts today."
Why Was Whoopi Goldberg Missing From 'The View'?
Whoopi Goldberg explained a volcano had erupted in Italy and delayed flights.
Addressing Goldberg's absence, Behar quipped, "Whoopi is using the old volcano excuse."
The show then played a clip of Goldberg explaining what had happened.
"I am in Sicily, and Mount Etna, one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today," she shared.
The Color Purple actress, 70, added that she's "spent most of the day trying to get back" to the U.S., but "all of the airports are closed" in the area.
"So, I will be back as soon as I can," Goldberg said. "I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations. Well, I think my story just takes the cake. A volcano ate my homework!"
Two Other Co-Hosts Unexpectedly Skip 'The View'
Sara Haines and Ana Navarro were also unable to appear on 'The View' on July 6.
But it wasn't only Goldberg who suffered travel delays and disasters over the holiday weekend. Sara Haines and Ana Navarro also had to skip Monday's show after unexpected emergencies – and Behar playfully let them have it over their reasons for missing work.
"Ana is stuck in Miami because of weather. It’s always hot there, what’s the problem?" Behar teased. "Sara is dealing with storm damage. How many people are dealing with storm damage? Anybody in this group? No, just Sara!"
Comic Guest Host Steps Up to the Plate
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Michelle Buteau gushed she was 'so glad' to be a guest host.
The View producers needed to act fast when it came to replacing the three co-hosts, so they turned to Buteau.
"We want to thank our special guest who was roused out of her sleep this morning at 6 a.m. to come in and help us: the actress and comedian, Michelle Buteau," Behar announced.
Buteau, who had been scheduled to appear only as a guest on the show, graciously agreed to take over for the day to help fill the shrinking panel of co-hosts.
"This is not how I thought it would happen, but I’m so glad it did," the comic gushed during Monday's episode. "Hi everyone, welcome to The View! A volcano had to go off before you guys asked me to come here, I love it!"
