When it comes to The View, it’s definitely not uncommon for one of the long-running talk show’s various hosts to be absent for one reason or another. Earlier this year, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin missed episodes amid the 2026 TV schedule due to the birth of her first child, and guest hosts were utilized. Whoopi Goldberg has also missed time but not for the reason that just cropped up. Goldberg was notably absent from the ABC staple’s first show this week, and I definitely wasn’t expecting that situation to involve a volcanic eruption.
Goldberg seemed to get a bit more than she expected over the 4th of July holiday weekend. During that time, the beloved actress and media personality traveled to Italy, where she owns a home (as recently noted by Savannah Chrisley). The Ghost star found herself in a precarious situation, however, after Mount Etna – a volcano – became exhibited activity over the weekend. Because of that, major travel routes were closed. Goldberg sent a video that was aired during The View’s July 6th broadcast, and she said this (via TV Insider):
I am in Sicily, and Mount Etna, one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today. We have spent most of the day trying to get back to the United States. All of the airports are closed here.
That video was recorded from Goldberg’s balcony and, in her address, she stressed that she would “be back as soon as I can.” It’s also worth noting that Mount Etna is Europe’s largest volcano, which makes this situation even more hazardous. Despite that, Goldberg was unsurprisingly still able to make a great joke even in the face of her less-than-ideal circumstances. In the video, she went on to say:
I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations. Well, I think my story just takes the cake. A volcano ate my homework.
There’s Been A Lot Of FCC Talk Related To TV Lately. A Committee Just Weighed In On The View
Believe it or not, Whoopi Goldberg wasn’t the only View panelist to miss the show’s first post-4th of July show due to weather conditions. Ana Navarro wasn’t present due to bad weather stranding her in Miami, and Sara Haines was absent due to handling “storm damage” that occurred over the weekend. With that, the occasionally absent Joy Behar (who’s regularly off on Mondays) was asked to come in alongside guest co-host Michelle Buteau, who joined Griffin and Sonny Hostin.
Goldberg’s particular situation is even more ironic when considering that she dealt with a completely different kind of weather situation earlier this year. Back in February, she was impacted by a massive blizzard that swept across the East Coast. But, even though she was snowed in, she was still able to join the program virtually. A blizzard and a volcanic eruption are two very different kinds of events, though, and the latter is definitely something many of us here in the states are likely not used to.
Personally, I’m just glad Whoopi Goldberg appears to be safe, and I hope that remains the case as she attempts to return to the U.S. I also extend well wishes to Navarro and Haines as they deal with their own issues. All in all, if there’s anything to glean from this situation it’s that while the ladies of The View are quite powerful in their own right, even they don’t have anything on Mother Nature.
The View airs weekly at 11 p.m. ET on ABC, and episodes are also available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
