Barbara Walters the porn star?
The legendary journalist won over the hearts and minds of America with her signature open-mouth smile, but according to “View” co-host Joy Beher, the expression originated from an unexpected place.
“She did it every time she took a photograph. It has to have the mouth open,” the 80-year-old comedian said of her late colleague’s grin on Tuesday’s episode of the ABC talk show before joking, “Well, those are from her porn days.”
Former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell, who was a guest on the morning program, admitted Walters’ memorable smile always “stayed” with her, while co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin let out a shocked, “Oh my God.”
Behar assured her associates that viewers knew her comment was made in jest, but Sarah Haines suggested they all “move on” to another topic anyway.
Walters, who launched “The View” with producer Bill Geddie in 1997, was a co-host on the show through Season 17 in 2014.
The famed broadcaster died in December 2022 at the age 93.
Behar was also one of the original co-hosts on “The View” alongside Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos.
She remained behind the table until Season 16 when she departed the series, saying at the time, “You reach a point when you say to yourself, ‘Do I want to keep doing this?’”
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Behar eventually returned to the show at the start of Season 19 in 2015, but eventually revealed her brief absence was not by choice.
“‘And I want you to know that I’m not renewing your contract,’” Behar, who accidentally let news that Rosie O’Donnell was joining the cast slip, recalled Walters admonishing her at the time.
But the women eventually put aside their differences and were “pals” in the end.
“She was always very cordial and lovely to me,” Behar told “GMA” shortly after Walters’ death. “We used to have a lot of laughs off camera and on camera.”
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
