Joy Behar tried to walk back her comments Tuesday on The View after she made a sex joke about an NFL player who recently came out as gay.
Raiders star player Carl Nassib announced Monday that he is gay, making him the first openly gay active player in the NFL.
“I know that locker rooms are very a toxic place, I remember when Jason Collins came out,” Ana Navarro said, referring to the former NBA player who came out as gay in 2013. “I remember when there was another NFL player who had been drafted — whose name, of course, escapes me — came out, it was a media circus. And it was a really big deal.”
She also praised Nassib for donating to the Trevor Project, an organization that helps gay and transgender youth. (RELATED: Vice TV Is Releasing A Documentary About How The NFL Apparently Fears Black Quarterbacks)
The first-ever openly gay player drafted into the NFL was former Mizzou football star Michael Sam, but he never played in a regular-season game.
“Ana, after they said penetration in the end zone, they lost me,” Behar responded. All of the hosts laughed, except for Megan McCain who made a face and looked disgusted.
Sunny Hostin said that she was “thrilled” when Nassib came out and that she hoped his announcement would “make the NFL more inclusive.”
“I echo everything everyone said previously. I think it’s fantastic he’s coming out,” McCain added. “Fantastic that he’s comfortable doing it in pride month. I hope it’s a step forward.”
Behar then tried to walk back her comments, but stopped short of apologizing.
“By the way that inappropriate joke I made for daytime television, scratch it,” she said. “Make believe I never said it.”