Here’s Why Sara Haines Is Absent From ‘The View’

Sara Haines of 'The View'
Kyle Bice/Disney via Getty Images

There was an unexpected empty chair on the set of The View on Tuesday morning. While Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Alyssa Farah Griffin were all on hand to discuss the hot topics of the day, Sara Haines was noticeably missing, despite being present for Monday’s eclipse-themed show.

After the first commercial break, Goldberg finally addressed the matter of Haines’ absence, explaining, “We were remiss. We needed to tell you that Sara’s out for a few days attending a funeral for a family friend. That’s why she’s not here. It got away from me, yeah.”

On social media, viewers sent Haines notes of support, with one saying, “So sorry for your loss,” and another writing, “Aaaaawwww miss u @sarahaines and praying for u and the family.”

TV Insider has reached out to Haines’ reps for comments and did not hear back at the time of publication.

Haines, who is from Iowa, is one of The View‘s moderate voices. Haines said she identifies as an “independent” when discussing current politics and has championed the right of non-party-aligned voters to participate in primaries.

Haines was initially a cohost from 2016 to 2018 and rejoined the show in 2020 to replace Abby Huntsman. Her return to The View coincided with the cancellation of her GMA3 series Strahan, Sara and Keke, which featured herself, Michael Strahan and Keke Palmer.

The View, weekdays, ABC