Whoopi Goldberg Misses 'The View' Due to Volcanic Eruption in Italy
Sarah Haines and Ana Navarro weren't the only ones missing from the latest episode of The View, as Whoopi Goldberg missed Monday's show due to an active volcano in Italy.
The 70-year-old Oscar-winning actor shared a video with her co-hosts to explain her absence from the talk show. The View had gone on hiatus for the Fourth of July holiday, with Goldberg being trapped in Italy due to the eruption of Mount Etna in the European region.
The eruption causes the closure of major travel routes in the area, forcing Goldberg to stay put until deemed safe to travel. As a result of her absence from The View, Joy Behar filled in for her co-host despite normally having Mondays off from the show.
"I am in Sicily right now, and Mount Etna, who is one of our active volcanoes here in Italy, decided to go off today," explained Goldberg while recording the video on the balcony of a hotel room.
She added having "spent most of the day trying to get back to the United States" to attend Monday's episodes of The View. Due to the safety concerns of the active volcano, all airports were closed, which left her stranded. While staying in Italy for a few more days isn't too bad, Goldberg promises she will return as soon as she can safely.
"So, I will be back as soon as I can," Goldberg promised, before joking, "I know that we got all kinds of stories about our different vacations. I think my story just takes the cake! A volcano ate my homework!"
Golberg's message was played during the episode of The View, with Goldberg's co-host laughing at her adorable pun. It appears that Goldberg is right to stay within the country until deemed safe, as Express UK reported that Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Sicily. A yellow alert has been put in place, with ash from the volcano having begun rising at around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday. It only intensified two hours later.
"For safety reasons, incoming flights to Catania-Fontanarossa airport have been suspended, while Ingv models indicate that the ash cloud will move toward the southern and south-southeast sectors in the coming hours," reporte La Sicilia.
Alongside Goldberg, Haines missed the Monday morning program due to storm damage in her home, with Navarro also being stranded in Miami due to inclement weather.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 1:28 PM.