On Camera, Joy Behar Apologizes for Mocking Pence’s Faith

The View co-host Joy Behar publicly apologized Tuesday morning for her comments mocking Vice President Mike Pence’s faith.

The segment opened with co-host Whoopi Goldberg referring to Pence’s appearance on Monday’s “Hannity” program on Fox News and then played a clip of Pence saying he asked Behar to make her apology in public.

Behar then addressed the audience, looking directly into the camera, and said: “I think Vice President Pence is right. I was raised to respect everyone’s religious faith, and I fell short of that. I sincerely apologize for what I said.”

The apology comes one month after Behar made her remarks on the Feb. 13 The View, setting off an outcry of protest, including complaining calls to ABC and calls for a boycott.

After revelations that she personally apologized to Pence, the calls for a public apology grew louder.

On Monday’s “Hannity,” Pence described the phone call.

“I felt it was important that I defend the faith of tens of millions of Americans against that kind of slander,” Pence told Sean Hannity. “And I did so.”

“And I give Joy Behar a lot of credit,” Pence continued. “She picked up the phone; she called me; she was very sincere, and she apologized.”

“And one of the things my faith teaches me is grace, forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” the vice president explained. “I said to Joy, ‘Of course, I forgive you. That’s part of my faith experience.'”

“But I did encourage her, and I’m still encouraging her to use the forum of that program or some other public forum to apologize to tens of millions of Americans who were equally offended,” Pence continued.

The offensive comments took place last month when co-hosts discussed comments on Pence’s beliefs made by an ex-White House staffer.

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness, if I’m not correct, hearing voices,” Behar said.

Co-host Sunny Hostin said, “I’m Catholic; I’m a faithful person, but I don’t know that I want my vice president speaking in tongues and having Jesus speak to him.”

The vice president was not the only one wanting Behar to make a public apology.

Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative group that led a campaign to hold The View accountable for the comments, had said ABC needs to go beyond a private apology to make up for the offense.

Christian groups signed on to the MRC campaign, calling on viewers to turn off the morning program and calling on companies to pull their ads from the show. A number of religious leaders agreed “enough is enough” to what they see as anti-Christian bias displayed on the network.

After Behar’s public apology, Bozell announced the campaign was over, tweeting today, “Our campaign against The View and Joy Behar has concluded. Even though it took a full month, Joy Behar did the right thing today to publicly apologize for her offensive remarks.”