Meghan McCain Is Reportedly Leaving 'The View' After Four Seasons With the Show
Updated July 1 2021, 10:03 a.m. ET
For more than 20 years, The View has seen its rotating panel of opinionated female hosts argue over everything from politics to TV shows. But few have caused more controversy in recent years than Meghan McCain.
Through the years, the 36-year-old’s recent high-profile squabbles with Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Whoopi Goldberg — have led to rumors that she’s planning to exit the show. But is there any truth to those reports? Here’s what we know about Meghan’s future with ABC.
Is Meghan McCain leaving 'The View'?
On July 1, 2021 — ahead of The View airing at 11 a.m. EST — reports started swirling that Meghan, who is the daughter of late U.S. senator John McCain, would be announcing her departure during the show.
“We have tried to keep her, but she is adamant that now is the right time for her to leave,” a source told the Daily Mail. “She will finish at the end of July 2021.”
In summer 2019, viewers called for Meghan to be booted from the show.
"We don’t want people to attack Meghan. We’re happy to have Meghan there," Hilary Estey McLoughlin, The View's senior executive producer, told The Daily Beast in July 2019. "I think she does want to be there. I think she wants to be on the show. She realizes it’s a very good platform for her and we love having her there. I feel like she will come back."
But Hilary acknowledged that the job hadn't been easy for the "Dirty Sexy Politics" author.
"What happens with Meghan is that because she’s so passionate about what she’s talking about, and she feels very strongly that she’s carrying this mantle for the conservative perspective, and what she wants to talk about is so important to her, I think that’s the part that’s the most draining for her," she explained.
Sources have said Meghan felt like a "caged animal" on 'The View.'
A friend of Meghan’s revealed in July 2019 that she was exhausted and defeated by what she went through on the show. "It’s getting to the point where it’s not worth the emotional toll every week," the insider admitted to The Daily Beast. "If she doesn’t stay at The View, she will find other work."
The negativity wasn't just limited to on-screen drama. A source shared that Meghan’s colleague, Sunny Hostin, frequently complained about the Arizona native’s antisocial behavior behind the scenes.
"She said, 'Meghan’s not doing well,' and then she shakes her head," the source relayed. "And she’s, like, feigning concern. 'She doesn’t talk to anyone … She can’t handle the pressure … She’s condescending about her grieving for her father … Meghan’s not handling this well.'"
But Joy Behar appeared to be much more understanding. "We get along fine," the 78-year-old shared at the time. "We both like to fight in a certain way, and we like to argue."
Joy and Meghan with Sherri Shepherd (center).
She continued, "We’ve had big fights over the last couple of years on the air, but basically she’s very strong in her position, and I’m very strong in my position … That’s what makes the show interesting, I think. People write about us as if we hate each other, and we really don’t. I don’t have a problem with her."
Despite the rumors, Meghan did seem to enjoy some aspects of her job. On Instagram, she proudly shared a New York Times Magazine cover story that dubbed The View the "most important political TV show in America."
Whenever Meghan was absent from 'The View,' rumors started flying.
When Meghan had a day off from The View on March 9, 2020, fans and critics alike wondered if she had been booted from the show. It wasn't long before rumors once again started flying — even though it was announced on-air that Meghan was off that day and would return the following day.
She took to Twitter to dispel the rumors, airing out her frustrations in the process.“People really don't need to write conspiratorial think pieces every time I'm out @TheView for 24 hours,” she tweeted. “It's mentally and emotionally exhausting and I have addressed this many times in the past. I will see you tomorrow. Unless the aliens who abducted me decide not to let me go.”
If the reports are true, then we wish Meghan the best as she makes her exit from The View and embarks on the next chapter of her professional life — wherever that may take her.