In a headline-grabbing revelation that’s sending shockwaves through the television world, Fox News personality Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery opened up about a fiery behind-the-scenes encounter with Joy Behar during a 2003 audition for ABC’s The View. Speaking candidly on Gutfeld! on April 1, 2025, Kennedy didn’t mince words—describing the show as “an unwatchable mess” and taking a sharp jab at Behar, whom she likened to “a talking hemorrhoid in an auburn wig.”
Kennedy, once a fixture on MTV and now a familiar face at Fox News, offered a colorful account of her turbulent audition for The View—a tryout that began with promise but quickly unraveled due to what she described as Joy Behar’s icy hostility. Recounting the 2003 experience on Gutfeld! on April 1, 2025, Kennedy said the atmosphere was initially warm and energetic. She clicked with co-hosts Star Jones, Meredith Vieira, and the legendary Barbara Walters—“God rest her soul”—discussing conservative politics with enthusiasm. For a moment, it felt like an ideal fit to replace the departing Lisa Ling.
That changed, she said, the moment Behar entered the scene.
Calling Behar “ungracious and awful,” Kennedy recounted a tense off-camera moment during a break. After drawing big laughs from the panel, she claimed Behar bristled and snapped, “I’ll handle the comedy here.” Kennedy, never one to back down, fired back: “Great. Whenever you start, I’ll ease up on the jokes.”
The biting comeback quickly lit up social media, going viral on X (formerly Twitter), with fans chiming in: “Kennedy owned her!” and “Joy got smoked!”
Kennedy went on to claim that Behar leaned heavily on a team of comedy writers, yet still struggled to deliver laughs with ease. “She’s not even funny—she’s not reacting, not thinking!” Kennedy quipped, mocking Behar’s reportedly stiff delivery with a dose of biting sarcasm.
In the end, Kennedy didn’t land the co-hosting role—Elizabeth Hasselbeck got the seat instead. But the fiery exchange has fueled speculation that Kennedy’s sharp tongue and quick wit may have threatened Behar’s dominance on the panel. One ABC insider offered a pointed take: “Joy’s territorial—always has been. Kennedy’s audition clearly rattled her.”
Fast-forward to 2025, and Kennedy’s bombshell lands at a precarious time for The View. Ratings have plunged—down 15% since 2023—as audiences grow weary of the show’s increasingly partisan tone. At the center of the storm is Joy Behar, a co-host since 1997, whose fiery tirades against Donald Trump and pointed digs at conservative figures like Mike Johnson have alienated viewers across Middle America. Kennedy’s scathing assessment—branding the show an “unwatchable abortion”—struck a chord online, with thousands echoing her sentiment: “She’s right—it’s a dumpster fire now!”
Behar’s camp has remained conspicuously silent in the wake of Kennedy’s viral takedown, but the internet has been anything but quiet. The clip from Gutfeld! racked up over 1.3 million views on X (formerly Twitter), sparking renewed debate about Kennedy’s brief brush with The View. “Kennedy would have saved The View,” one fan posted wistfully, a sentiment shared by many in the comment threads.
Despite the uproar, ABC remains firmly behind Behar, whose longevity on the panel has cemented her as a network fixture. Still, Kennedy’s no-holds-barred recollection has peeled back the curtain on long-rumored backstage tensions—and cast fresh doubt on the show’s current direction. Now a fixture on Gutfeld!, Kennedy’s brutal honesty has reignited questions about what The View could have been—and whether Behar will address the firestorm brewing in her wake.
One thing’s for sure: this isn’t just behind-the-scenes gossip—it’s a scorched-earth revelation rewriting a chapter of daytime TV history.
