Joy Behar Net Worth

What is Joy Behar's Net Worth and Salary?

Joy Behar is an American comedian, writer, actress, and co-host who has a net worth of $30 million. Joy Behar has been a fixture in American comedy and daytime television for more than four decades, best known as one of the original panelists on ABC's "The View." She began her career as an English teacher before pursuing stand-up comedy in the early 1980s. Behar quickly found her voice in New York's comedy clubs, where her sharp wit and observational humor earned her television appearances on shows like "Good Morning America" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." By the late 1980s, she was performing regularly on cable comedy specials and had her own stand-up act touring nationally.

Her first significant break in television came as a co-host of the morning talk show "Good Morning America" in a fill-in capacity, but it was Barbara Walters' creation of "The View" in 1997 that defined her career. As one of the show's original co-hosts, Behar brought a mix of comedy, blunt honesty, and political commentary that quickly became a hallmark of the program. She has been part of the panel for most of its run, save for a brief departure from 2013 to 2015, after which she returned by popular demand. During her tenure, "The View" has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards and become the most-watched daytime talk show in the U.S., with Behar's candid takes often at the center of the show's most memorable moments.

Outside of "The View," Behar has hosted several other programs, including "The Joy Behar Show" on HLN from 2009 to 2011 and "Joy Behar: Say Anything!" on Current TV from 2012 to 2013. She has also appeared in films such as "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and "Hall Pass," and has authored books blending humor with social commentary. Today, Behar remains one of the most recognizable figures in daytime television, valued for her comedic instincts and willingness to say what others won't.

Salary

Joy Behar is paid a salary of $6 million per year for co-hosting "The View."

Early Life

Josephine Victoria Occhiuto, better known as Joy Behar, was born on October 7, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. She grew up as the only child of working-class parents in a Roman Catholic Italian household. Education was always a priority for her, and after completing high school she enrolled at Queens College, graduating in 1964 with a degree in sociology. She continued her studies at Stony Brook University, earning a master's degree in English education in 1966.

Behar spent the next several years teaching high school English in New York while nurturing an interest in performance and comedy on the side. She studied acting, which laid the groundwork for her later stage and screen appearances, and her natural sense of humor began to steer her toward stand-up. This blend of education, theater training, and comedy would ultimately define the versatile career that followed.

Career

By the early 1980s, Behar had started to transition into entertainment. She worked behind the scenes with production credits on "Good Morning America," but quickly realized her passion was performing. She began appearing in comedy clubs throughout New York City, building a reputation for her quick wit and sharp political humor. Television soon followed, with early appearances on shows such as "Baby Boom" and "Live From Queens," as well as her own talk program "Way Off Broadway."

Behar expanded into acting during the late 1980s and early 1990s, landing roles in films like "Cookie," "This Is My Life," and Woody Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery." She was also featured in a number of HBO comedy specials, which helped cement her as a recognizable voice in American stand-up.

Her true breakthrough came in 1997 when she joined Barbara Walters' new daytime panel show, "The View." Behar's mix of humor, blunt honesty, and willingness to challenge both guests and co-hosts made her a standout from the start. She officially became a permanent co-host and helped the program become a fixture of daytime television. In 2009, Behar and her co-hosts won a Daytime Emmy Award for their work on "The View."

Although she stepped away from the program in 2013 to pursue stand-up, writing, and theater, she returned in 2015 and has remained a central figure on the panel ever since. Alongside her work on "The View," Behar has hosted and appeared on a range of other programs, including guest-hosting "Larry King Live." CNN launched "The Joy Behar Show" in 2009, which ran for two years, and she later fronted "Joy Behar: Say Anything!" on Current TV and "Late Night Joy" on TLC.

Beyond television, Behar has also made her mark in theater, performing in productions like "The Vagina Monologues" and "Love, Loss, and What I Wore." Her wide-ranging career has blended comedy, commentary, and acting, making her one of the most enduring personalities in American entertainment.

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Personal Life

In 1965, Joy Behar married Joe Behar, a university professor. After a 14-marriage during which the couple had one child, they divorced in 1981. Joy Behar kept Joe's last name and also retained custody of her child. Later, Joy began a relationship with Steve Janowitz. The couple was married in 2011. Joy Behar is famous for her strong support of the Democratic party.

Real Estate

In 2016, Joy Behar listed her home in East Hampton for $3.8 million. She ultimately accepted $3.2 million. Soon after that sale, Joy paid $4.75 million for a home in Sag Harbor, New York. She listed this home for sale in November 2024 for $10.95 million.

In 2017, Behar reportedly spent $2.4 million on a two-bedroom apartment in the Upper West Side of New York City. In 2018, she made a significant profit on her investment after selling the newly renovated apartment for $3.28 million.

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