Honestly, if you go looking for pictures of Joy Behar, you aren’t just looking at a celebrity gallery. You’re looking at a time capsule of American daytime television. Joy has been a fixture on our screens for decades, and let’s be real, she hasn’t changed as much as the world around her has. She’s stayed remarkably consistent, which is probably why she’s the longest-running co-host on The View.
Most people remember her purely from the talk show desk, but her visual history goes way back to the smoky New York comedy clubs of the late 1970s. It’s wild to see those grainy black-and-white shots of a young Joy, curly hair in full force, holding a microphone like it’s a weapon. She was a teacher before she was a comic, and you can almost see that "I'm about to school you" look in her eyes even in those early professional headshots.
From Stand-Up Stages to the Iconic View Desk
The most searched pictures of Joy Behar usually center on her tenure at The View. She started there in 1997, hand-picked by Barbara Walters. If you look at photos from those first few seasons, the fashion is... well, it’s 90s. We’re talking boxy blazers and very specific lipstick shades.
There is a famous photo from 2004 that recently made rounds again. It’s Joy wearing a chocolate brown designer suit. Why did it go viral? Because in 2022, at 80 years old, she wore the exact same suit on air. She joked that she’s a "label whore" and that the suit still "sparks joy," but the side-by-side images proved something else: the woman barely ages. Her co-host Sunny Hostin even remarked that she looked exactly the same, though Joy, in typical fashion, insisted she actually looked younger in 2022.
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The Controversy That Won't Go Away
You can’t talk about Joy’s photographic history without mentioning the 2019 firestorm. An old photo from the 70s resurfaced—one Joy herself had shared on the show back in 2016. In the picture, she’s 29 years old, dressed up for a Halloween party as what she described as a "beautiful African woman."
She admitted to wearing makeup that was darker than her skin. The backlash was swift when the image made its way back into the news cycle during a period of national conversation about blackface. It’s a stark reminder that even the most beloved TV personalities have "ghosts" in their photo archives that reflect different cultural eras—and not always in a good way.
A Career Defined by Visual Transitions
Joy isn't just a talk show host. People often forget she had her own shows too.
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- The Joy Behar Show on HLN (2009–2011)
- Joy Behar: Say Anything! on Current TV
- Late Night Joy on TLC
If you look at the set photography from her Current TV days, you see a different side of her. There are great shots of her with Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner at the London Hotel in West Hollywood. These aren't the high-energy, argumentative photos we see from The View. They’re more intimate. They show a woman who is deeply respected by the comedy royalty she grew up admiring.
Why the Public is Obsessed with Her "Look"
It’s kind of funny. Joy Behar has become a bit of a style icon for a certain demographic. She doesn't chase trends. She knows what works for her: sharp tailoring, bold colors (especially red), and that signature reddish-brown hair.
I think the reason people keep searching for pictures of Joy Behar is that she represents a type of unapologetic aging. She’s over 80 now. Look at any recent red carpet photo or a still from the 2025/2026 season of The View. She isn't trying to look 30. She just looks like Joy. There’s a comfort in that.
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What You Should Look for in the Archives
If you’re doing a deep dive into her visual history, don't just stick to the Getty Images thumbnails. Look for the candid stuff.
- The 1980s Club Shots: Search for her with Susie Essman. They’ve been best friends for over 40 years. Seeing them together in their early 30s, looking exhausted but determined in New York City, tells a much better story than any studio portrait.
- The Barbara Walters Era: Find the photos from 2007 when Barbara Walters got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Joy is right there by her side. It captures the transition of The View from a "niche women's show" to a political powerhouse.
- The Off-Broadway Stills: More recently, images from her play My First Ex-Husband (which hit the MMAC Theatre in early 2025) show her in her element—on stage, telling stories, and still commanding a room.
Joy Behar's "look" is basically her brand. It's built on a foundation of "I don't care if you're offended, but I'll look good while I say it." Whether she’s in a brown suit from two decades ago or a fresh outfit for a 2026 broadcast, the visual consistency is what keeps her relatable.
How to use this info:
If you're looking for the best high-resolution images for a project or fan site, stick to the ABC Press Gallery or editorial archives like Alamy. For the real "human" story, look for the throwback posts on The View’s official Instagram—that’s where the best side-by-side comparisons live.
Next Steps:
Go check out the official Instagram for The View and scroll back to November 2022 to find the "Suit-Gate" post. It’s the perfect example of how Joy uses her own history to stay relevant.