An Era Ends: Elon Musk Shuts Down ‘The View,’ Whoopi Goldberg Leaves In Tears

NEW YORK – It was a surreal morning on the ABC studio lot in New York, a morning that began like any other — with coffee, cameras, and half-shouted political opinions — but ended with Whoopi Goldberg quietly walking off stage in tears as Elon Musk officially pulled the plug on the decades-long talk show, The View.

The “lightning bolt” news hit just after 10 a.m., while the show was live-taping its Friday segment. The audience, producers, and even the hosts had no idea that, behind the scenes, Musk had already signed the final order to cancel the 27-year-running talk show — his first act after purchasing the entire ABC network for a staggering $10 billion.

“Effective immediately,” read the internal memo later leaked to the press, “The View has been discontinued in the interest of promoting rational discourse and reducing global noise pollution.”

Whoopi Goldberg reportedly stared at the teleprompter, blinked twice, and softly said: “Well, I guess that’s that.”

Moments later, she stood, thanked the studio audience for “a good run,” and exited the stage to applause and emotional sobs.

Disaster Sparked by a Single Tweet

The chaos, as it so often does these days, began on X (formerly Twitter).

At 9:47 a.m., Elon Musk tweeted simply:

“Just bought ABC. First order of business: cancel The View. You’re welcome, America.”

Within seconds, the tweet had over 20 million views. Producers’ phones buzzed mid-show. Host Joy Behar reportedly stopped mid-sentence, asking, “Wait, is this a real tweet or another parody account?”

Unfortunately, it was brutally real.

While ABC executives scrambled to confirm the news, Musk had already updated the network’s official X account bio to read: “Now under new management — Fewer feelings, more facts.”

Audience members described the scene as emotional, bizarre, and weirdly calm. Whoopi Goldberg, who has hosted The View since 2007, later told reporters outside the building:

“You never think the show’s going to end because of a billionaire with Wi-Fi, but here we are.” She jokingly added, “At least he didn’t try to rename it ‘X View.’”

“Mental Hygiene” or “Censorship by Boredom”?

Musk’s acquisition of ABC came out of nowhere, a move most analysts had previously dismissed as rumor. Media circles were abuzz, with one prominent media analyst commenting: “Only Elon Musk could go from launching rockets to launching network rebrands in 48 hours. He’s the first person to buy a television network out of pure boredom.”

Musk has long been privately critical of The View, referring to it as “a live-action Twitter argument” and “a show powered entirely by caffeine and outrage.”

In his first press conference after the acquisition, Musk justified the cancellation as an act of “mental hygiene.”

“America’s collective blood pressure will drop by at least 30%,” he claimed. “I’m doing this for public health.”

The Hosts’ Signature Responses: Tears and Sarcasm

Whoopi’s co-hosts responded in their own characteristic ways:

Joy Behar, 82, declared: “I’ve been canceled more times than Elon’s rockets have exploded. I’ll survive.”

Sunny Hostin called the move “corporate censorship at its dumbest,” posting a lengthy thread on X that was promptly labeled with a “Community Note” correcting her spelling of “tyranny.”

Sara Haines was reportedly seen crying on set — though it was unclear whether from sadness or… relief.

Replacing The View‘s coveted time slot will be a new program titled The Vision, hosted by AI holograms. The new show promises to be “less emotional, more educational, and 100% interruption-free.”

The Painful End for a Cultural Icon

Despite the chaos, few can deny The View’s impact. For 27 years, it served as America’s unofficial debating forum — a place where everyone talked over everyone else, and yet somehow millions tuned in anyway.

However, for Whoopi Goldberg, the abrupt ending still stung. A longtime producer shared: “She wanted to leave on her own terms, not because a billionaire hit ‘delete’ on a keyboard.”

As she left the building, wiping her eyes, Goldberg told reporters: “If this is how it ends, it’s been one hell of a conversation. Now maybe America can finally… get a word in.”

Immediately after, the ABC network feed briefly displayed the words: “THANK YOU FOR 27 YEARS OF TALK.”

Then, the screen faded to black — before flickering back on with a new promo: “COMING SOON: The Vision — Powered by SpaceX.”