Fact Check: Did Elon Musk fire the cast of The View? Viral rumor debunked

Since taking over X, Elon Musk has been in the headlines frequently. A new rumor emerged in 2023 amidst all the speculation, saying that Musk had acquired ABC and fired The View cast.

After starting to circulate with a Facebook meme, the rumor gained momentum and piqued people's curiosity. But closer inspection revealed this to be a baseless assertion, with no reliable evidence to back this claim. In the era of sensationalism on social media, it's critical to separate fact from fiction as rumors circulate.

The American talk show, The View, was started by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. A staple of ABC's daytime television block since August 11, 1997, the show is currently in its 27th season. It has a panel of women from different generations who talk about the "Hot Topics" of the day, like entertainment and social politics.

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Had Elon Musk fired the cast of The View?

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX (Image via CBS@IMDb)

The meme that gave rise to the rumor was found circulating on Facebook in May 2022. It had a photo of Joy Behar, one of the talk show hosts, and a comment referring to the claim that "Elon Musk issued a tender offer to buy 'The View' outright for $17 and a coupon for a free appetizer at Applebee's" (via Facebook and AmericasBestPics.com).

It was unclear where the meme first appeared. This claim seemed to have started as a joke, as some readers might have surmised. However, many were interested enough to inquire if it was true.

In contrast to what is being said, Elon Musk has not purchased ABC, and the cast of the show has not been let go. The well-liked talk show is still a mainstay of daytime television, and ABC is still Disney Entertainment's flagship offering.

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Reactions of Netizens to the rumor that Elon Musk fired cast of The View

Following his purported acquisition of the network ABC, netizens took to X to question the authenticity of the allegation. People were asking Musk about the rumor, wanting to know if he had indeed bought ABC and fired the show's cast.

An X user questioned Musk about whether he had purchased ABC and canceled the show because of Disney's financial difficulties. Another brought attention to a fake article they saw on Facebook about the purchase and fired the employees of the talk show right away.

A Twitter user asking Elon Musk about the rumor (Image via habdankj@X)

A Twitter user asking Elon Musk about the rumor (Image via theitalianguys@X)

A Twitter user asking Elon Musk about the rumor (Image via Frances67985547@X)

However, despite the rampant speculations on X, these claims are unsupported by any official statement or reliable source. As with any speculation, it's important to check the reliability of the sources and proceed with caution before taking any information as gospel.

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Having won 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, The View surpassed all other daytime talk shows in terms of viewership by 2021.