Kit KittlestadSep 18, 2026 5 min read

Whoopi Goldberg Steps Away From “The View” as Familiar Faces Return

The View will be having a little reunion just a few weeks into its 30th season.

Whoopi Goldberg will miss several episodes of the daytime talk show over the next two weeks while she works on a new Netflix movie. Rather than simply leaving her chair empty, The View's former co-hosts will return to help fill out the table.

Whoopi isn't disappearing completely, though. We’ll still see her on Mondays.

Whoopi Goldberg Will Miss Several Episodes of The View

Whoopi shared more about her upcoming schedule during an appearance on The View: Behind the Table podcast with executive producer Brian Teta.

Her temporary absence came shortly after The View Season 30 premiered on September 8th. ABC kicked off the milestone season with its regular panel of Whoopi, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.

Over the next two weeks, however, Goldberg will be busy elsewhere. She's filming Women Like Us, an upcoming Netflix movie featuring quite a collection of familiar faces.

Whoopi Goldberg's New Movie in 2026 Brings Together Five Stars

Whoopi will appear with Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox in Women Like Us. The story follows a recently widowed woman whose longtime friends and sister take her to the Hamptons around what would have been her 30th wedding anniversary.

Whoopi describes the project as a story about getting older, dealing with change, and spending time with the people who understand us.

She also said that she's worked with several of her co-stars before. Tasha Smith is directing the movie, while Higher Ground and MACRO Film Studios are two of the companies behind the project.

Who Is Replacing Whoopi Goldberg?

This is where things get nostalgic for longtime fans of the show.

Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd on "The View." | Wikimedia Commons

Joy Behar will take over moderating duties when Whoopi isn't there. And four women who previously held seats at the table are scheduled to return as guest co-hosts:

Star Jones
Lisa Ling
Sherri Shepherd
Debbie Matenopoulos

Star and Lisa are expected to appear for two days each, while Sherri and Debbie will each return for one. That's a lot of history making its way back to the table in a relatively short stretch of time.

Looking Forward to Some Familiar Faces

Each of the returning women comes from a different chapter of the show's nearly three-decade run.

Debbie was part of the original lineup when The View premiered in 1997. Star was also an original co-host and stayed with the program until 2006. Lisa joined the show in 1999, while Sherri became a co-host in 2007, the same year Whoopi joined the panel.

If you’ve watched the show through multiple eras, Whoopi’s filming schedule will create an unexpected chance to revisit several of them.

Whoopi Isn't Leaving The View

Despite the word "hiatus" appearing in some of the coverage, Whoopi’s absence will be brief. She'll continue appearing on Mondays during the next two weeks.

Her movie is filming in New York, which makes it possible for her to juggle both projects, rather than leave The View altogether.

Whoopi has balanced acting work with the daytime show before. She's been a regular presence at the Hot Topics table since 2007, while continuing to take on projects outside the program. This time, her filming schedule just happens to come with a few extra chairs for some old friends.

A Reunion In the Making

Season 30 was already going to involve plenty of nostalgia. ABC launched the new season as a celebration of three decades of conversations, guests, and changing faces around the table.

We’re just getting another dose of the show's history earlier than expected.

Although Whoopi will be off making a movie for part of the next two weeks, The View won't exactly be short on recognizable faces. With Joy moderating and four former co-hosts stopping by, her temporary absence will be a lovely reunion of its own.