The View co-host Joy Behar took quite a big spill in front of the audience as she struggled to climb onto her swivel chair at the top of the show.
The 79-year-old veteran of the program was a good sport and made jokes after wiping out on the floor with both legs in the air. To assure everyone she was fine, Behar called herself a "klutz" and even made a wisecrack about who she could sue.
Still, her stumble startled the audience enough to elicit gasps and prompted her co-hosts and a crew member to immediately rush to assist her.
You can watch her fall that was caught in the show's opening moments.
OMG! Joy missed a step and fell right before sitting down #TheViewpic.twitter.com/kw0cUBq88Z— The Chat \uea00 (@The Chat \uea00) 1646323603
The View co-hosts Sara Haines and Sunny Hostin helped Behar up, and moderator Whoopi Goldberg was heard telling her to “just stand.”
After a production assistant helped guide her to the desk panel, viewers, relieved at seeing her back up on her feet, applauded.
aww! Poor Joy! All the ladies now are so nice to each other, it's a nice sight to see how they all came to her rescue.— rocaven (@rocaven) 1646332010
OMG?! This group of women have true love! I always tell my dad that I'm Joy, with a touch of the lovely Sara. To validate my Joy-sync; why did I slip and fall about a week ago, when dropping my trash not 3ft from my front door?! I pray #JoyBehar is ok; I love her! ,— Yvette #Pete \ud83d\udc7btigieg #VoteBlue #BidenWON2020 (@Yvette #Pete \ud83d\udc7btigieg #VoteBlue #BidenWON2020) 1646355673
She suffered no serious injuries and managed to continue on with the rest of the program with her wit remaining intact.
Behar quipped, "Twenty-five years that has never happened to me. Who do I sue?”
When an audience member yelled, "I love you, Joy," Behar replied:
"Thanks. Dead or alive!... I went flying... I just missed the step [getting into the chair], as usual."
Fans expressed their concern after trolls–who are opposed to some of Behar's strong unpopular opinions on the show–made fun of her by calling the incident the work of karma.
Wow people in comment section eating this up....\nAn old lady tooks a fall...— Siddy (@Siddy) 1646329217
Hope she is ok, not funny when the elderly take a fall. Think about your own parents and grandparents for goodness sake ..,— Karen Lindquist (@Karen Lindquist) 1646333824
Sorry to see this. Joy has a sense of humor. No doubt she will laugh about it, with a great one liner. People can be cruel with comments, but making fun of others is what floats their boat then have at it.— Kay Patton (@Kay Patton) 1646331475
Goldberg agreed the chairs were not the safest and demonstrated how fast they spin. "You touch it and you're on the ground," she said.
Hostin added, "It's happened to all of us."
She could have been seriously injured at her age. They should get safer chairs on the set.— Rick Rosa (@Rick Rosa) 1646330345
When the excitement settled a bit, Behar took a moment to address the dangers of falling and referred to the late comedian, Bob Saget–who died from a head injury, likely from a fall, in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, on January 9.
“The main thing — just to talk seriously — when Bob Saget fell, he died,” Behar said, before leaving this potentially life-saving message:
“If you hit your head, and you feel dizzy or you have blurred vision, or you feel like you want to go to sleep, go to the doctor. Because that will kill you.”
I fell@ work bck in November missed a step this is no joke unfortunately I broke my ankle was in pain for a few days but doing better now, it has made me scared of steps I'm 72 be careful who you laugh @ it could happen to you just saying— Veronica (@Veronica) 1646340648
I pray that you are ok Joy. Bruises may come but you are rock solid— phyllis4949@yahoo.com (@phyllis4949@yahoo.com) 1646341459
On a lighter note, she continued:
"But I've fallen a lot. I fall all the time. I'm a klutz! But this chair, this chair was like the exorcist."
"But you know what? I'm going to make a resolution. I'm going to make my behind a little bigger, just for the purpose of the chair."
Behar recently made headlines for a tone-deaf comment she made about the Ukraine crisis possibly interfering with her plans for her European vacation.
She was also slammed by the LGBTQ+ community for encouraging closeted people to "just come out" at Thanksgiving and "see what happens."
In spite of her comments, some thought she was undeserving of ruthless mockery.
Why are so many people so angry at Joy, she did not have a darn thing to do with the current war. She has a right to want to travel to Italy and feel however she chooses, just like her haters do. Besides, people are human and everything is not meant to be hurtful.— Priscilla Brown (@Priscilla Brown) 1646368875
I hope she\u2019s ok. I may not like her personality at times, but know that falls, especially for seniors are a big threat to health and life. Even that shock of the fall can disrupt heart rhythm. Are those swivel chairs?— Pee Dubb (@Pee Dubb) 1646333854
I\u2019m glad she is ok. I\u2019m not going to laugh at a 79 old woman falling down. You can hate her political beliefs but falls can be very dangerous for the elderly. I\u2019m not shocked to see people celebrating because humans are awful tbh. pic.twitter.com/zYvA2rfjgG— Willie Adams (@Willie Adams) 1646337307
The stand-up comedian, who started her career in show business as a receptionist in the 1980s and later as a producer for ABC's Good Morning America, remains the only original panelist on The View.
When the show debuted in 1997, she initially covered for The View's co-creator and broadcast journalist, Barbara Walters, on her days off.
Eventually, Behar become a permanent co-host and has regularly appeared on the show–with the exception of the 17th and 18th seasons.