Sherri Shepherd and Joy Behar reminisced on their late coworker, Barbara Walters, and Shepherd let her audience know a long-kept secret about the journalist.
The former “The View” cohosts reunited on Shepherd’s morning talk show “Sherri.” The TV personalities chatted about Walters and Shepherd being afraid of the legendary journalist. Shepherd said that Behar used to laugh at her because of her fear of Walters. Shepherd also said that Behar used to snitch on her to Walters whenever she told her anything about her.
To prove her point, Shepherd shared a story about how Behar ratted on her after she gossiped about Walters and Richard Pryor allegedly having relations. Shepherd told the audience, “I told Joy that I had run into Paul Mooney, and Paul Mooney had said that he caught Barbara Walters with Richard Pryor.”
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The audience was audibly dumbfounded, and even Behar seemed as if she found the story surprising. Behar asked, “What do you mean? She slept with Richard Pryor?” Shepherd said that Mooney “walked in” on Walters and the “Harlem Nights” actor, and that she went to tell Behar about it after she found out.
Behar looked as if she was hearing the story for the first time again as Shepherd said that she wanted her cohost to keep the gossip a secret. Shepherd said that the day after she told her costar, Behar went up to Walters and said, “So, I heard you slept with Richard Pryor.”
Shepherd said that Barbara’s head swiveled around as she asked, “Who told you that?” The 56-year-old said she was scared she might lose her job, but Behar didn’t tell Walters that Shepherd was the one who told her the rumor.
Fans gave their thoughts on the illicit story.
“That does not surprise me in the LEAST.”
“Mooney knew all the bizness.”
“Don’t know why people are surprised….🤷🏽♀️ Richard Pryor dated a lot of white women back in the day. He’s still one of the best Black comedians to grace the stage. @sherrishowtv and Joy were hilarious yesterday!”
Don’t know why people are surprised….🤷🏽♀️ Richard Pryor dated a lot of white women back in the day. He’s still one of the best Black comedians to grace the stage. @sherrishowtv and Joy were hilarious yesterday! 😆 🍵
— Mary Stewart (@maryonthemove) October 12, 2023
Walters and Pryor wouldn’t surprise anyone who followed the comedian’s love life, as he was known for not discriminating when it came to women. Pryor was a lover who was married seven times to five women. Two of Pryor’s wives, Shelley Bonus and Jennifer Lee, were white, while the rest, Patricia Price, Deborah McGuire, and Flynn Belanie, were Black. He married Lee and Belanie twice. Pryor was also in a romantic relationship with Pam Grier.
That wasn’t the only gossip that the duo let fans in on. Behar said, “You know … between you and me, Barbara liked a brother.” The pair aired out Walters’ dirty laundry as Behar said that Walters was dating a Black senator at one point. This was in reference to Sen. Edward Brooke, who Walters referred to having had an affair with in her memoir “Audition.”
Shepherd said that Behar used to say that Walters “loved her chocolate men.” The two also said that Walters had a crush on former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Shepherd said that “every time Colin Powell came on” the show “The View,” she “was all the way over here,” she said, as she mimicked Walters scooting closer to the politician.
Behar said it was true and that Walters “loved a brother.” Based on both celebrities’ relationship histories, it may not surprise anyone if the encounter turned out to be true.
