NEWSWhoopi Goldberg Absent From 'The View' as Actress Becomes Stranded in Italy Due to Volcano Eruption: 'All Airports Are Closed Here'
Whoopi Goldberg spent the Fourth of July in Italy.
July 6 2026, Published 5:56 p.m. ET
Three co-hosts of The View were nowhere to be seen on the Monday, July 6, episode of the popular talk show.
As the first episode after their holiday hiatus kicked off, Joy Behar — who typically doesn't appear on Monday installments — revealed why Whoopi Goldberg, Ana Navarro and Sara Haines were all missing.
'They're Dropping Like Flies'
Joy Behar revealed why Whoopi Goldberg, Ana Navarro and Sara Haines were all absent from 'The View.'
"You may be asking, ‘Why am I here on a Monday?’ I asked myself the same question, but [producer] Brian [Teta] begged me to come in. Begged me on his knees where he belongs!" she quipped. "Why? Because we are down three co-hosts today."
"They're dropping like flies," Alyssa Farah Griffin chimed in.
Whoopi Goldberg Is in Sicily, Italy
Whoopi Goldberg sent in a video to reveal a volcano eruption grounded flights going out of Italy.
Behar revealed Navarro was stuck in Miami, Fla., due to stormy weather and Haines had to deal with "storm damage."
"And Whoopi is using the old volcano excuse — watch!" Behar said before playing a video the EGOT winner filmed while in Italy.
"I am in Sicily right now, and Mount Etna, who is one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today," Goldberg explained while overlooking a scenic backdrop.
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The 'Ghost' star said she spent 'most of the day trying to get back' to America.
"We have spent most of the day trying to get back to the United States. And all of the airports are closed here," she noted. "So, I will be back as soon as I can."
"I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations. I think my story just takes the cake! A volcano ate my homework!" she quipped while laughing.
Actress Michelle Buteau filled in for the missing co-hosts.
"So there you have it," Behar said, then thanking comedic actress Michelle Buteau for filling in for the other ladies.
After Behar joked Buteau was "roused from a dead sleep" to get the call, Buteau replied, "I have to say, this is the best booty call I've ever gotten!"
Buteau was initially set to just be a guest on the show but sat at the table for the entire episode.
Inside Whoopi Goldberg's Italian Vacation
Whoopi Goldberg raved over her trip to Tuscany, Italy, before the chaos.
Goldberg gave fans an inside look at her relaxing vacation via social media the week prior.
"Sitting in the Tuscan sun — don’t worry Sicily I’ll be back," she captioned the post. "This hotel is top notch!"
In a video upload, she called her surroundings "stunning," sharing, "Olive trees, fruit trees, whatever you think of when you think of Tuscany is everything that I'm looking at."
"If you've never been to Tuscany, and this is my first trip, this is really where you want to come," she insisted.
