Sherri Shepherd, Whoopi Goldberg Pay Tribute To Late 'View' Founder Bill Geddie

On Friday, The View shared news of the death of the show’s co-creator Bill via Instagram. Geddie died on July 20 due to coronary issues. On Monday, the current cast of “The View” paid tribute to their late boss with former co-host Sherri Shepherd making an appearance. Geddie also served as one of the show’s executive producers.

“He absolutely changed my life because back in 2007 when he asked me to come on, I was a single mother, just divorced, stand-up comic (and) didn’t know a thing about politics,” Shepherd stated. “And somehow he believed that people would relate to me.”

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Shepherd also explained that Geddie was “tough” on her, but ultimately it helped her find her confidence and voice. “My first week (on the show), didn’t I say I didn’t know if the earth was round or flat? I do know that it is round; it was a brain fart. … I said, ‘Bill, oh my God, I do know. I’ve got to go back on and say it,’ and he said, ‘No, this is ratings, baby,’” Shepherd remembered.

“He said, ‘Sherri, if we apologized for everything we said, this would be called ‘The Apology Show’ — it’s not. It’s called ‘The View.’ During Monday’s episode, there was also a video montage of Geddie’s appearances on the show throughout the years. “He was 68 years old, really cranky and really funny,” longtime co-host Whoopi Goldberg said at the beginning of the footage.

Goldberg also recalled how Geddie helped her navigate some of her more outspoken moments which included 2007's controversy when she defended Michael Vick in his illegal dogfighting scandal. Geddie also comforted her in 2022 when Goldberg was suspended for two weeks after saying the Holocaust was not about race (Goldberg eventually apologized).

“I was asked to stay off for a week or two,” Goldberg explained, “and Bill wrote to me and said, ‘You know, this is the nature of this show, that’s why we brought you in. We’re paying you to give your opinion.’” Co-host Sunny Hostin also shared her audition process for The View, which Geddie assisted with.

He always remained a constant source of support for Hostin. Just a few weeks before he passed, she said he reached out to her to give advice. “‘I told you to lean in, you’re leaning out,” Hostin recalled Geddie saying. “I couldn’t believe he was still providing guidance.”

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