Joy Behar has been married twice and is a mother and a grandmother. The television host is married to a man several years younger than her, whom she was in a relationship with for decades before tying the knot.
Behar is a longtime co-host of the daytime talk show, “The View,” which she joined in 1997 as one of the original panelists. However, she was briefly off the show in the past years.
Joy Behar at the 7th Annual “Stand Up for Madeline” comedy event at Carolines on Broadway on May 5, 2008 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
The comedian was shown the door in 2013, but she returned in 2015. Behar later commented on being let go from the much beloved ABC series once, saying:
“I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don’t even remember why.”
The television star also had no clue why the network removed her for two years, adding they, too, had no idea why they fired her at the time. “That was very stupid of them. But they learned their lesson,” the actress stated.
Since then, Behar has continued to grace the screens of the most-watched daytime show and revealed in an October 2022 interview that she has no intention of retiring from the TV show.
The New Yorker further stated that she had signed an extension of her contract and would remain a constant feature on “The View” for some time. “I have no plans to retire,” she said.
Behar admitted that, to date, she still cannot fathom the fact that the chat show has raked in a lot of viewership, adding, “I’m happy to be a part of it. So no, I’m not going anywhere. I’m having a good time.”
The red-haired celebrated her 81st birthday on “The View” in October 2023. However, it turns out she does not like making a big deal of her special day.
During the episode, her co-host Ana Navarro said that she knows Behar does not like to talk about her birthday, while fellow host Sunny Hostin mentioned that she did not look excited. Behar chimed in, saying:
“I can’t get excited. I’m just glad I’m alive, okay? You know, you get to a point where you wake up in the morning and say, ‘I’m still here, my God'”
Having marked her birthday milestone, Behar celebrated her wedding anniversary with her second husband two months before. The Hollywood star is married to a retired school teacher, Steve Janowitz.
The couple wed in August 2011 after dating for nearly three decades. Behar and Janowitz donned coordinated outfits for their big day. She wore a black short-sleeved dress while he opted for a black suit paired with a bow tie and a white shirt underneath.
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar at The Children’s Hearing Institute Gala on April 26, 2001 | Source: Getty Images
After getting married, Behar appeared on “ABC News” the following month in September. During the interview, the “Love Is All There Is” actress was asked whether she felt like a bride, and she jokingly responded:
“Do I look like a brushing bride to you? It’s been 29 years.”
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar at the Welcome To Gulu Exhibition and Benefit Art Sale Anti-Human Trafficiking Initiative at The United Nations on May 12, 2009 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Asked whether she felt like she was in the honeymoon phase, Behar said no. The showbiz star felt like she had only done what she needed to do, which was marrying her love after being together for many years.
The TV star was also asked to share the secret to being together with someone for a long time. According to her, the pair are not sensitive people, so whatever remarks they pass around when they are together, neither of them takes it to heart.
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz at the screening of “My One and Only” in East Hampton at Goose Creek on August 15, 2009 in East Hampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
Behar further shared that Janowitz is a man with a good sense of humor and that the first year into their relationship, she did not tell him she was a comedian to avoid scaring him off. She said the way they see each other also counts. A year after getting hitched, Behar was asked in another interview why she and Janowitz waited so long before tying the knot. She said,
“We waited so long because I had been married before, and I didn’t really see the point.”
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar at the Joseph Fioretti exhibition at The National Arts Club on October 5, 2019 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
The “Hall Pass” star joked, “We did it for the sex,” before explaining that, genuinely, it was because as she gets older, she wants someone who will be there for her “emotionally and legally” if something were to happen.
Janowitz is seven years younger than his famous wife, Behar, revealed during one episode on “The View” in October 2021. “At this point, it’s really paying off,” she added. The couple has been married for 12 years.
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz at the Off-Broadway opening night of Joy Behar’s “Me, My Mouth & I” at Cherry Lane Theatre on November 23, 2014 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
In addition to being a wife, Behar is also a mother. She and her former husband, television director Joseph Behar, with whom she was married from 1965 to 1981, welcomed their only child together, daughter Eve Behar, in November 1970.
Steve Janowitz, Eve Behar, Luca Scotti, and Joy Behar at the 6th Annual Family Affair at Childrens Museum of the East End on July 19, 2014 in Bridgehampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
The mother of one, who is also now a grandmother, proudly showed off her daughter with her husband, Alphonso Scotti, and the couple’s son, Luca, during an appearance on “Anderson Live” in November 2011.
Behar gushed about her grandson, who was only eight months old at the time, describing him as “brilliant” and already talkative at that age.
As for Luca’s mother, she makes original handmade one-of-a-kind ceramics. In August 2023, she gave her Instagram followers a glimpse into her art opening and shared a family group photo.
In the picture, Luca looks all grown up as he is now a teenager. He posed, sitting alongside his parents and grandparents, who beamed at the camera. Another solo shot displayed him and his beloved grandmother.
Moreover, Eve also shared images from the art event, which showed attendees. The blonde beauty captioned her social media upload, “Scenes from an art opening. Thank you to #juliekeyes #juliekeyesgallery for a wonder opportunity to show my new work,” and asked her followers to go and check out the show in Sag Harbor, a village in Long Island, New York, if interested.
