Joy Behar found love again after her first marriage ended, but she took nearly three decades before walking down the aisle with her current husband, who is several years younger. In a candid podcast interview, the TV host shared the surprising topic that sparks the most arguments in their relationship.
Born on October 7, 1942, Joy Behar is celebrating her 82nd birthday! Behar is a longtime co-host of the daytime talk show, “The View,” which she joined in 1997 as one of the original panelists. However, she was briefly off the show in the past years.
The comedian was shown the door in 2013, but she returned in 2015. Behar later commented on being let go from the much beloved ABC series once, saying, “I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don’t even remember why.”
Joy Behar on May 5, 2008, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
The television star also had no clue why the network removed her for two years, adding they, too, had no idea why they fired her at the time. “That was very stupid of them. But they learned their lesson,” the actress stated.
Since then, Behar has continued to grace the screens of the most-watched daytime show and revealed in an October 2022 interview that she has no intention of retiring from the TV show.
The New Yorker further stated that she had signed an extension of her contract and would remain a constant feature on “The View” for some time. “I have no plans to retire,” she said.
Behar admitted that, to date, she still cannot fathom the fact that the show has raked in a lot of viewership, adding, “I’m happy to be a part of it. So no, I’m not going anywhere. I’m having a good time.”
The red-haired celebrated her 81st birthday on “The View” in October 2023. However, she did not like making a big deal of her special day at the time.
During the episode, her co-host Ana Navarro said that she knows Behar does not like to talk about her birthday, while fellow host Sunny Hostin mentioned that she did not look excited. Behar chimed in, saying:
“I can’t get excited. I’m just glad I’m alive, okay? You know, you get to a point where you wake up in the morning and say, ‘I’m still here, my God.'”
Besides being a beloved media personality, Behar has been married twice and is a mother and a grandmother. She is married to a man several years her junior, whom she dated for nearly three decades before tying the knot.
Behar’s second husband, Steve Janowitz, is a retired school teacher. The duo wed in August 2011 after being together for 29 years. Behar and Janowitz donned coordinated outfits for their big day. She wore a black short-sleeved dress while he opted for a black suit paired with a bow tie and a white shirt underneath.
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar at The Children’s Hearing Institute Gala on April 26, 2001 | Source: Getty Images
On one occasion, Behar shared a more personal side of their relationship, revealing what sparks the most arguments. During an episode of the “Behind the Table” podcast on May 8, 2024, Behar discussed how she and Janowitz, who rarely fight, always argue about one specific issue: the car.
“First of all, it’s always about the car,” she revealed, adding that Janowitz has autoimmune deficiencies, making him a notorious backseat and front-seat driver. “He’s always criticizing how I drive,” Behar said, explaining that after 40 years together, it has made her a nervous driver.
She humorously recounted an incident where she accidentally crashed into a farm stand, “I had it in drive, and I forgot to take it out of drive. I got out of the car, and it started to roll down… it went into the farm stand anyway. It was too late. It was a tomato blight. I can’t go to that farm stand now. So that happened one time,” she added.
The couple also took a ten-day trip to Italy in April 2024, which Behar jokingly admitted was “too much closeness.”
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz on November 15, 2005, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Upon their return, the tension resurfaced during a simple lunch outing. Behar explained that she invited Janowitz to drive in her Mini Cooper, but he refused, saying, “I’m not getting in that car with you.”
Behar responded, “Listen, I’ll take my car, you take yours; I’ll meet you there,” but Janowitz didn’t like that arrangement. Eventually, he relented and got into her car. However, the tension remained, and they barely spoke during lunch except for Janowitz’s driving instructions.
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz on May 8, 2017, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
“I said, ‘I’m sick of you infantilizing me about my driving. I’ve had enough,'” Behar recounted, adding that Janowitz couldn’t help but continue giving directions like “Make a turn here” and “Hit the brake.” She concluded, “Normally I don’t really care, but it’s too much together.”
Despite the tension, Behar confirmed that Janowitz eventually broke the silence, attempting to mend the situation.
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar on October 6, 2006, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
This isn’t the first time Behar has spoken about her marriage to Janowitz. Only a month after tying the knot with her husband, she appeared on “ABC News.” During the interview, the “Love Is All There Is” actress was asked whether she felt like a bride, and she jokingly responded:
“Do I look like a brushing bride to you? It’s been 29 years.”
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar on May 12, 2009, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Asked whether she felt like she was in the honeymoon phase, Behar said no. The showbiz star felt like she had only done what she needed to do, which was marrying her love after being together for many years.
The TV star was also asked to share the secret to being together with someone for a long time. According to her, the pair are not sensitive people, so whatever remarks they pass around when they are together, neither of them takes it to heart.
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz at the screening of “My One and Only” in East Hampton at Goose Creek on August 15, 2009 in East Hampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
Behar further shared that Janowitz is a man with a good sense of humor and that the first year into their relationship, she did not tell him she was a comedian to avoid scaring him off.
She said the way they see each other also counts. A year after getting hitched, Behar was asked in another interview why she and Janowitz waited so long before tying the knot. She said, “We waited so long because I had been married before, and I didn’t really see the point.”
The “Hall Pass” star joked, “We did it for the sex,” before explaining that, genuinely, it was because as she gets older, she wants someone who will be there for her “emotionally and legally” if something were to happen.
Janowitz is seven years younger than his famous wife, Behar, revealed during one episode on “The View” in October 2021. “At this point, it’s really paying off,” she added. The couple has been married for 13 years.
Joy Behar and Steve Janowitz on November 23, 2014, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
In addition to being a wife, Behar is also a mother. She and her former husband, television director Joseph Behar, with whom she was married from 1965 to 1981, welcomed their only child together, daughter Eve Behar, in November 1970.
Steve Janowitz, Eve Behar, Luca Scotti, and Joy Behar on July 19, 2014, in Bridgehampton, New York | Source: Getty Images
The mother of one, who is also now a grandmother, proudly showed off her daughter with her husband, Alphonso Scotti, and the couple’s son, Luca, during an appearance on “Anderson Live” in November 2011.
Behar gushed about her grandson, who was only eight months old at the time, describing him as “brilliant” and already talkative at that age.
As for Luca’s mother, she makes original handmade one-of-a-kind ceramics. In August 2023, she gave her Instagram followers a glimpse into her art opening and shared a family group photo.
In the picture, Luca looks all grown up as he is now a teenager. He posed, sitting alongside his parents and grandparents, who beamed at the camera. Another solo shot displayed him and his beloved grandmother.
Joy Behar with her grandson Luca Scotti, as seen in a photo dated August 27, 2023 | Source: Instagram/evebeharceramics
Moreover, Eve also shared images from the art event, which showed attendees. The blonde beauty captioned her social media upload, “Scenes from an art opening.”
Eve Bahar with her mom Joy Behar and other loved ones during her art event, as seen in a photo dated August 27, 2023 | Source: Instagram/evebeharceramics
“Thank you to #juliekeyes #juliekeyesgallery for a wonder [sic] opportunity to show my new work,” she concluded the post, asking her followers to go and check out the show in Sag Harbor, a village in Long Island, New York, if interested.
While Joy Behar’s professional and personal life continues to thrive, her marriage to Steve Janowitz — despite some disputes — remains a source of humor and strength in her life.
Steve Janowitz and Joy Behar on October 5, 2019, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Their bond, forged through years of understanding and shared humor, remains a source of strength in Behar’s life, grounding her amidst the demands of her career and the spotlight.
