The Richest The View Host Might Surprise You
Since its 1997 start as a talk show featuring women from diverse backgrounds, the ABC network production of "The View" has since become the hottest daytime program in recent memory, tackling topics ranging from innocuous seasonal fashions to such divisive subject matter as the exploits of President Donald Trump. The show was well ahead of its time, with producers picking hosts from diverse backgrounds and adding a bit of tension to the proceedings, which would add to the mix of people with diametric opinions as well.
The result was part fluff, part insight, and part cage match, and it was that third ingredient that became a broadcast magnet for the show's growing audience. Regular watchers of "The View" would tune in to see sparring matches that would involve the likes of Joy Behar, Rosie O'Donnell, Meghan McCain, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Meghan McCain verbally grapple over issues from the war in Iraq to pandemic lockdowns.
With over 20 seasons to its name, "The View" has gone through more than 20 co-hosts, some more vocal than others. But how well-off are these daytime luminaries, relative to each other's bank accounts? And is there a correlation between affluence and outspokenness? To find out, here's a look at the 12 richest co-hosts of "The View." The top earner just might astonish you.
Star Jones was one feisty legal eagle
When show creator Barbara Walters wanted "The View" to include hosts with diverse opinions, she got more than she bargained for with Star Jones. Thanks to her legal background which included tenure as a prosecutor for the District Attorney's office in Brooklyn for five years, Jones proved to be a feisty addition, often quarreling with the rest of the co-hosts, Walters and Joy Behar in particular.
Jones lasted nine seasons of "The View" before announcing publicly she would be leaving in June 2006 in a strategy to upset ABC's plans to fire her, which she learned about two months earlier. Jones later told CNN that she departed "on my own terms."
Today, Jones continues to live on her own terms, having hosted her own show on truTV and taking part in red carpet events on the E! network. But in February 2021, she landed another cushy gig as editor at New York-based social directory "Marquis Who's Who," where she strives to put more minorities on the city's celebrity A-list. "What makes this exciting for me is that rarely do you see an African-American taking on a leadership role in identifying who is influencing American society," she said to The New York Times. That job, her legal earnings, show appearances, and product endorsements have resulted in a purse Celebrity Net Worth estimates at $12 million.
Rosie Perez couldn't adjust to talk show dynamics
ABC announced that actor Rosie Perez would join "The View" in 2014, making her the first Latina to join the rest of the panel at the studio table. "The opportunity to connect with our nation's audience on a daily basis ... icing on the cake!" said a very stoked Perez at the time.
Sadly, it wasn't all sweetness for Perez. Four months later, Variety reported the celebrity had problems adjusting to the show's issue-oriented content and had a tough time reading the teleprompter. By July 2015, BuzzFeed broke the story that Perez had left the show.
It's a shame since the Brooklyn-born Perez, according to CNN, is notorious for being outspoken on such issues as racism against Puerto Ricans. Discovering the art of dance as her ticket out of poverty, Perez appeared on "Soul Train" and was a choreographer for the Fly Girls on "In Living Color," before landing acting roles in such major films as "Do The Right Thing," "White Men Can't Jump," and "Fearless," which landed her a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination. Those roles and her ongoing choreography stints have since been responsible for her wealth, which Celebrity Net Worth pegs at $12 million.
Candace Cameron Bure offered a Full House of perspectives
Anyone who had doubts about how a child star who made a living playing Bob Saget's daughter could hack it on a fiesty daytime program probably felt vindicated over Candace Cameron Bure's tenure on "The View." The former "Full House" player lasted two seasons on the talk show since becoming a co-host in 2015.
But the timing of her arrival, even after occasional appearances on the show before she landed the gig, couldn't have been worse. "When I was asked to join the table, the show was supposed to steer towards more ever-green topics and less about politics," said Bure to People. "Enter Donald Trump into the presidential race. It changed everything." For a celebrity who wasn't weaned on politics, she faced a tough learning curve. But spending her downtime boning up on the issues and commuting weekly between New York and her home in Los Angeles became too much. In 2017, an offer to star in the "Fuller House" reboot was her easy exit from the talk show.
With Cinemablend reporting that Bure will also be in a forthcoming "Fuller House" movie for Hallmark as of this writing, that work will add to her earnings, which Celebrity Net Worth estimates at being in the neighborhood of $14 million.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck was hawkish in The View huddle
As proof that being on a reality TV show can develop a skill set one can use in everyday life, submitted for your approval is Elisabeth Hasselbeck. The wife of former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, and a formidable personality in her own right, got her start in showbiz as a "Survivor" contestant and hasn't looked back. It might have been that fighting spirit that brought her into "The View" bullpen in 2003; after all, she lasted a decade locking horns with the best of the lot.
One of the more confrontational conservatives on the panel, Hasselbeck frequently clashed with the likes of Joy Behar and Rosie O'Donnell on such contentious topics as her support of the war in Iraq. An US Weekly exclusive claimed her right-wing perspectives were too extreme for the show's audience, so she was punted in 2013. "I was bent over — shock, asthma, and betrayal all stealing my wind," she would later write in her autobiography "Point of View: A Fresh Look at Work, Faith, and Freedom."
Hasselbeck eventually found work at the more like-minded Fox News and has written a couple of other books on gluten-free diets. With earnings from her TV gigs, books and a few real estate deals, according to Celebrity Net Worth, she's good for $16 million in the bank.
Abby Huntsman became A Fox with friends
You know you have a bit of a catty show when left and right co-hosts fight in front of the camera. But when two people on the same end of the political spectrum hash it out, the studio atmosphere can get even more brutal. Republican supporter Abby Huntsman found that out the hard way when she joined "The View" in 2018, but after the umpteenth clash with more extreme right-winger Meghan McCain, she called it quits after two seasons. A CNN report cited the clashes between the two were just the tip of the iceberg in what a handful of personnel on "The View" described as a "toxic" environment. Huntsman eventually co-hosted with a more genial crowd on "Fox & Friends."
"The show is made is for drama," said Huntsman to Deseret News, which publishes in Salt Lake City where she resides with her family. "It did get fiery and that will continue. Honestly, it is a lot to sit there and have to do that every day."
Fortunately, with earnings from those gigs, Huntsman, the daughter of former Utah governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and granddaughter of billionaire John Huntsman Sr., is not hurting financially. Tallies courtesy of Celebrity Net Worth have her making around $20 million.
Jenny McCarthy demonstrated some blond ambition
Jenny McCarthy first made herself known when she sprang from the pages of "Playboy" and scored a spot on MTV hosting a dating show called "Singled Out" (via Forbes). So when she joined "The View" in 2013, the optics had it that her addition would be somewhat innocuous. Far from it. Almost immediately, McCarthy demonstrated that she was far from a cardboard cutout cutie, taking on fellow panelists Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters. But in an interview with People, McCarthy claimed it wasn't so much over the contentious hot topics brought to the table, but the alleged control-freak demeanors of the two veterans, especially Goldberg.
"To me, Whoopi had an addiction to controlling people's thoughts, their words, the room, the table, your feeling, your mood," lamented McCarthy, who was fired by ABC after only one season. "She had an addiction to controlling all of it and everybody."
The axing was hardly debilitating to her livelihood. Besides discovering marital bliss with Donnie Wahlberg, McCarthy has enjoyed scores of several revenue streams, especially on TV appearances from a lingering story arc on "Two And A Half Men " to celebrity judge status on "The Masked Singer." Add to that the nine books she's penned and she's accumulated a fortune assessed by Celebrity Net Worth as hovering around $25 million.
Joy Behar dishes out jubilation for the left
If you're a card-carrying Republican or were a supporter of George W. Bush and Donald Trump, watch out. Cross Joy Behar's path and the unapologetic leftist will pulverize you with all the verbal ammo at her disposal. Behar earned her battle scars via being the only original member of "The View" panel still occupying a seat, despite being fired and sitting out two seasons in 2013, per People. Through it all, she clashed with guests like conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly, reality-TV-star-turned-White-House-aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman, and Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. But her classic moments include the endless jousting with co-host and Republican diehard Meghan McCain on pretty much any headline-hitting topic.
As far as Behar is concerned, those conflicts come with the territory. "Any conversation that talks about politics or religion is going to go off the rails," she said to Good Housekeeping. "It would be very unrealistic to think that there would be no acrimony, disagreements, and maybe even hurt feelings sometimes. That's the way it is."
Behar's ascent to stardom involved a series of career path detours, starting out as a teacher before drifting in standup comedy and bit parts in the occasional Broadway show. It was her comedic chops that landed her on "The View," which isn't her biggest revenue stream. Rather, her savviness as a real estate investor has hugely contributed to a nest egg Celebrity Net Worth values at $30 million.
Raven-Symone was So Raven at the table
Raven-Symone cut her teeth as a child star on "The Cosby Show" and played a psychic teen on "That's So Raven," but somehow those mystical tools weren't at her disposal during her year-long tenure on "The View," which she joined in 2015. "My version of doing it, I wanted it to be about my mind and I wanted it to be about my opinions," she said to ET about her reason for joining the talk show.
But the public was shocked over some of Raven-Symone's perspectives, which included a declaration that she'd never hire anyone with a "ghetto name" (via CNN), and siding with a cop who assaulted a kid for using his cell phone on school property. More militant viewers circulated a petition to ax her from the show. But in the end, Symone left "The View" on her own terms when she jumped at Disney Channel's offer to reboot her Raven role.
Raven-Symone's showbiz output has been prolific since toddlerhood. She's also starred in such shows as "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," "Kim Possible," and "Cheetah Girls," but a lot of her loot has come from licensing deals surrounding all that Raven merch. As a result, Celebrity Net Worth has Raven in the black at $40 million.
Meredith Vieira moderated like a veteran journalist
Despite the on-air rumbles involving most co-hosts, others stood out as being far more diplomatic on "The View" set. And only a few presided at the hot topics table with dignity like Meredith Vieira. When asked by Us Weekly about all the turbulence in front of the camera, Vieira, who spent nine seasons on the show, was eloquent in her response. "I hate to see dirty laundry exposed," she replied. "Everybody has a side story. So my memory of it was that was a great time."
Vieira already had an extensive hard-news background, having reported at CBS and working on its signature newsmagazine "60 Minutes" for several years before becoming an original co-host of "The View" in 1997. After leaving the talk show, she became a fixture on NBC's "The Today Show" before hosting the syndicated version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" for which she won two Daytime Emmys.
Other endeavors include hosting her own daytime show for two seasons, covering several Olympic events, joining PBS to cover the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle nuptials, and occasionally playing herself on popular programs from "30 Rock" to "House of Cards." Combining her efforts as a journalist and public affairs personality has Celebrity Net Worth calculating her assets to be around $45 million.
Whoopi Goldberg held court as a classy celeb
Credit much of Whoopi Goldberg's appeal on "The View" to name recognition from previous marquee endeavors, but audiences can't seem to get enough of the endearing co-host who's occupied the stage-left seat at the table since 2007. Fortunately to diehards, that Whoopi fix will continue to be satisfied until at least 2025 thanks to a four-year deal she inked with ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story in September 2021. Sure she's butted heads with the likes of Meghan McCain and Jenny McCarthy, but in a nation where even inoculations can tear a country apart, fans see Goldberg as an oasis of sanity in an inhospitable pop culture landscape.
For now, Goldberg claims she's up to the challenge. "I'm there until I don't think I can do it anymore, but I'm not there yet," she said to Variety in April 2021.
Prolific in the acting trade, Goldberg is only one of only 16 people on the planet to have won the EGOT awards grand slam. She earned an Emmy for hosting "The View" and the AMC documentary "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel," an Oscar for "Ghost," two Golden Globes for "Ghost" and "The Color Purple," and a Tony for producing a remount of "Thoroughly Modern Millie." All that sweat equity has Whoopi shining bright with a value Celebrity Net Worth deems to be at $60 million.
Rosie O'Donnell trotted out the drama
When actress Rosie O'Donnell replaced Star Jones in 2006, her unfiltered anger was the stuff of legends, having combated with pretty well everyone at the Hot Topics label, including Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie Perez, Barbara Walters, and a producer that resulted in a lawsuit. Her first year alone enticed the New York Post to consult a psychiatrist who said O'Donnell greatly mistrusted men, was particularly angry at women, and craved attention — traits uncovered in her biographical tell-all "Celebrity Detox."
While O'Donnell may have been one of the show's more toxic hosts, she was never fired. She left after one season but returned in 2014 for another season. However, stress and health issues (she suffered a heart attack in 2012) forced her to bow out once again. Another O'Donnell return isn't in the cards, especially when she claimed she ignores the show every time it's broadcast. "I don't watch it anymore because it upsets me," she said to Daily Beast, "and because I think it's been dumbed-down a lot."
For her part, O'Donnell's no dummy, having hosted her own syndicated talk show and starred in such movies as "A League of Their Own" and "Sleepless Seattle," published her own magazine and a number of books, and delving into some lucrative real estate ventures. Combined, O'Donnell is coming up rosy with a value estimated by Celebrity Net Worth at $120 million.
Barbara Walters was the ultimate visionary of The View
In the past quarter-century, "The View" started out with a handful of women from eclectic walks of life hot-stoving over issues of the day. Today, its influence on pop culture is nothing short of enormous with the likes of The New York Times calling it "the most important political TV show in America." To Walters, it was the final crown of many she earned when she announced her exit in 2013.
"I do not want to appear on another program or climb another mountain," said Walters in an ABC statement. "I want instead to sit on a sunny field and admire the very gifted women — and okay, some men, too — who will be taking my place." Walters, however, hasn't totally retired, still listed as an executive producer and co-owner of the show.
Since getting into broadcasting, Walters became a trailblazer, becoming the first woman to anchor a primetime network news program and having the clout to land elusive celebrities in her highly-watched interview specials. All that experience provided the savviness to convince ABC that the climate was ready for a show in which women would have their say on what was going on in America. With that, it's probably poetic justice that all those years as a high-profile TV journalist would be the richest co-host of all the luminaries that have paneled at "The View." She's certainly earned her keep with a portfolio that Celebrity Net Worth pegs at $170 million.