Why Sara Haines and Whoopi Goldberg Slapped Each Other on ‘The View'

Whoopi Goldberg and Sara Haines couldn't help but slap each other - six times - during a recent episode of The View.

Haines, 48, started the mini-war during an interview with Kate Hudson and Justin Theroux on the show's Thursday, April 23, broadcast.

Theroux, 54, was discussing working with Meryl Streep on The Devil Wears Prada 2, saying the icon is "just like every other actor," despite her status in Hollywood. Haines agreed, rather passionately, with what Theroux said, which led to a slap on Goldberg's arm.

"Ow!" Goldberg exclaimed, before hitting Haines back. Haines responded, "Sorry, just saying you too, Whoopi."

The two hit each other back and forth a few times before Theroux stepped in.

"Why are we all hitting each other?" he asked. Sunny Hostin explained that they feel the same way about Goldberg as he does about Streep.

"That's right, I know," Theroux said. "Just a normal person."

Goldberg said, "Ish," which got her a laugh from her costars.

This is not the first time Haines and Goldberg have had a physical interaction on The View stage.

Last month, Haines made an oral sex joke about cohost Joy Behar, which led to a slap on the elbow from Goldberg.

"My agent at the time told me not to take The View, and, in retrospect, he might've been right," Behar recalled during the March 25 broadcast. "I was told, ‘Change your voice,' which I can't. ‘Change your name.'"

Haines responded, "It's so iconic, why would you change it?"

Behar quipped, "Because I sound like I have Jimmy Hoffa in the back of my throat."

Haines had a rather colorful followup question.

"Well, did you?" Haines asked, seemingly referring to Behar's ongoing claims that she "dated" some pretty famous men. Goldberg was quick to take her cue card and hit Haines for the remark. Haines started laughing, leaning into Goldberg and grabbing her arm.

"But, he told me, ‘Don't take The View!'" Behar responded, joking about Hoffa, the famous union activist who has been missing since 1975 and considered legally dead since 1982.

Haines has been a host on The Viewon and off for years. She made her debut on the show in 2016 as a guest cohost before taking a permanent role that same year. By 2018, she had moved on from the talk show. However, Haines returned in 2020 and has been one of the show's hosts ever since.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 8:07 AM.