The joy of sax
Local music legend to celebrate his 90th again.
Joy Behar of “The View” apologized Tuesday for suggesting mental illness was behind claims by people that Jesus Christ talks to them.
Her comments, made about Vice President Mike Pence on the show last month, launched a protest that made it all the way to a shareholders meeting of ABC parent Walt Disney Corp.
Pence said Monday that when Behar called him personally to say she was sorry, he urged her to apologize publicly. So she did at the top of Tuesday’s show.
“I was raised to respect everyone’s religious faith, and I fell short of that,” the comedian said. “I sincerely apologize for what I said.”
Behar’s original comments came on a Feb. 13 show during a discussion that touched upon Pence’s Christianity. “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus,” Behar said. “It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness, if I’m not correct — hearing voices.
“My question is can he talk to Mary Magdalene without his wife in the room?” she said.
On the same show, Behar said she did not believe Pence was mentally ill and that he would make a better president than Donald Trump. But the damage had been done.
Pence spoke out against the remarks, and “The View” returned to the topic two days later, when Behar called it a joke gone awry. “I don’t mean to offend people,” she said, “but apparently I keep doing it.”