Joy Behar may be a funny lady, but she took a serious moment on Monday's "The View" to apologize for making a joke at the expense of Rachel Uchitel last week.
"I have to clear something up," Behar said before a commercial break on the program. "During a discussion on Thursday's show about the alleged affair between Tiger Woods and Rachel Uchitel, I made a joke, I made a play on Ms. Uchitel's name. This was intended only as a joke and I apologize for the choice of words and for any misimpression the joke may have created."
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Last Thursday evening, Gloria Allred, Uchitel's attorney, sent out a press release drawing attention to a comment from a "View" panelist, whom she did not name in her statement.
"[Thursday] on 'The View' on ABC television a co-host called our client Rachel Uchitel a 'Hooker,'" Allred's release noted. "The co-host said 'Yeah…. You-ka-tell she's a hooker.'"
Behar made the comment as Whoopi Goldberg brought up a tabloid story about the woman and stumbled over pronouncing her last name. "Rachel, what, how do you say it?"
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"Uchitel – You could tell… she's a hooker," Behar chimed in as the audience laughed.
Other "View" panelists continued the joke, but it was Behar's comment that Allred sent the release out about.
"This statement about Ms. Uchitel is false and defamatory and highly offensive to her," Allred continued in her press release. "Rachel is very upset by that statement which has been viewed and now read all around the world.
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A rep for "The View" issued a statement on Friday morning, apologizing for the comment, but on Friday, Allred – in another release, claimed the press release wasn't enough and demanded an on air apology.
Following Behar's apology on Monday, Allred released a third statement, claiming the matter could be considered resolved.
"We accept ABC's apology and this resolves the matter with ABC," Allred's statement read. "Our action and this apology should also send a message to the public that Rachel values her reputation and that she will consider all of her legal options against anyone or any entity which defames her."
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