Whoopi Goldberg reveals reason for upcoming absences from The View

Whoopi Goldberg has shared that she will be absent from several upcoming episodes of The View.

Goldberg, 70, revealed news of her absence, which begins September 22, while speaking with The View executive producer Brian Teta on the ABC daytime talk show’s Behind the Table podcast. The hit show is currently celebrating its milestone 30th season.

“We’re going to lose you for a couple of days because you’re going to be doing this movie,” Teta said, referencing Netflix’s Women Like Us. “You’re going to be gone over the next two weeks but you’ll be here on Mondays. And the next few weeks, we’re going to have filling in for you, some of our friends, former co-hosts of The View.”

In Goldberg’s absence, several former co-hosts of The View will fill in, including Lisa Ling, Star Jones, Sherri Shepherd and Debbie Matenopoulos. Current co-host Joy Behar will step in as the panel’s moderator while Goldberg is out.

“Joy’s up for it,” Teta said. “She’s always excited to moderate.”

Goldberg spoke about the film — which is being produced by Michelle Obama — and the plot. “It’s five really wonderful women — several of whom I’ve worked with before,” she told Teta.

“It’s about change and getting older and having fun with your friends and people who get you. It’s about finding your people. I’m excited to do it. It’ll be fun.”

This will not be the first time Goldberg takes a hiatus from her co-hosting duties to film another project. She previously pressed pause on The View to work on the Italian soap opera Un Posto Al Sole and the Anansi Boys TV adaptation.

Goldberg said during an August episode of Keke Palmer’s podcast that she enjoys the flexibility that doing The View provides as she continues to pursue other outside projects.

“I constantly say to people, ‘Yes, I’m still open for this.’ And especially now, because people say, ‘Well, you’re on The View, you can’t do anything.’ If I need to go, I go,” she told Palmer.

Goldberg has served as the Hot Topics moderator on the show since 2007, holding the record for the most consecutive seasons as the program’s host — even surpassing its creator, Barbara Walters.

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Aside from film and television, Goldberg recently expanded her literary footprint with the launch of her book imprint, WhoopInk. She is planning to publish a sequel to her memoir on the imprint.

“I am personally looking forward to finding new authors, working with established authors, and bringing influential voices into this curated imprint,” Goldberg said at the time of launch.