‘The View’ Joy Behar Horrifies With Dark Story Behind Her Name

Joy Behar - The View

The View host, Joy Behar, at times, has a very dry sense of humor. Currently, she is processing the aftermath of the presidential elections along with her other panelists. But some of her history horrifies the audience when she talks about the origin behind her name.

Joy Behar Is Persisting

Recently, The View host, Joy Behar joined producer, Brian Teta, on Wednesday afternoon’s edition of the Behind the Table podcast. While Brian believes Joy is still in “denial” over the new president-elect, she tells him she understands it is real but will never be “okay” with it. He jokes that, “Some people are dealing with it better than others.” Then, she claps back saying she is “part of the La Resistance” and won’t give in. One big message she delivered was advice to younger women to wait until they are thirty or older to marry. She believes women know themselves better with time. Likewise, she also encourages people to develop a “So what who cares” attitude when inaccurately criticized. However, Joy believes if something is true it needs to be looked at. Correspondingly, she passes along Geraldine A. Ferraro’s saying to put it “in the garbage” if it isn’t true.

Joy Behar - The View
Joy Behar – The View

During the viewer questions, Brian asked Joy where her name originated. Admittedly, she is named after her paternal grandma, Josephine Victoria Occhiuto. But she tells the story of “Josephine” who she jokes was the “shrew” of Turin, Italy.

Joy Behar Horrifies With Dark Story Behind Her Name

After Brian Teta asks Joy Behar how she got her name she says, “I was born Josephine, named after my father’s mother, who was a little wacky, I understand.” She explains, “My grandfather decided to come to Brooklyn to visit his brother who was here.” But as Joy’s story unfolds, it turns dark. She says, “My grandfather didn’t go back for several months. So, my grandmother, Josephine, sent him — I don’t know, by pigeon or something — a note, saying, ‘If you don’t come back, I’m going to kill myself and the children.’ Of which, there were three.”

Brian chuckles and says, “That’ll do it.” Seemingly, he relates to the idea since he is a father and knows things can get hectic raising kids. But Joy’s dry humor makes it difficult to know if she or her grandmother were joking or serious. However, she offered the story as a token of her family’s past and didn’t explain the dynamics of her Italian grandparents’ relationship.

Joy Behar - YouTube
Joy Behar – YouTube

Joy Behar adds, “That is who I am named after.” However, when she was younger, her grandfather on her mother’s side helped her. He insisted at birth she not go by “Josephine.” Instead, he suggested “La Gioia” which is Italian for “The Joy.” After that, she was enrolled in school with the premise that her legal name was “Josephine,” however she would be called “Joy.”

By Any Other Name

Although Joy Behar’s name may have some dark roots, many people were happy to hear her stories.

  • On YouTube, someone says, “Love Joy. She’s got the right name because every time I see her and hear her speak I feel joy.”
  • “Love ya Joy & your great stories ❤❤.”
  • “She is such a character lol. Auntie Joy.”
  • Another person adds, “I am part of La Resistance with Joy.”
  • However, some people had other ideas, “I know right? Tired of Sunny talking smack on white conservative women, she has some deep-rooted issues, unhinged.”

What do you think about Joy Behar telling the story of her grandmother threatening to kill herself and her kids? Do you think she was just a woman at her wits end persuasively joking to emphasize her plea for her husband to return? Why do you think Joy relays the story that way? What do you think about The View and its panelists? Drop your comments below.

Bonnie Kaiser-Gambill

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