In a moment that shocked viewers and set social media ablaze, Fox News commentator Lisa Kennedy Montgomery — widely known simply as “Kennedy” — launched a brutal, unexpected verbal attack on The View co-host Joy Behar during a live broadcast this week. The insult, now etched into internet infamy, came without warning and sparked a wave of media backlash, fan debate, and a looming network confrontation.

The shocking incident occurred during a roundtable discussion on Kennedy’s Fox News segment, where panelists were analyzing media bias and ideological slant on daytime talk shows. The discussion turned to recent remarks from Joy Behar, who had criticized “right-wing media voices” for what she described as “peddling fear, not facts.”

That was the moment Kennedy snapped.

“I’ve had it with Joy Behar pretending to be some voice of moral superiority,” Kennedy said, her tone sharp and her delivery unwavering. “She’s not a journalist. She’s not a thinker. She’s a talking hemorrhoid in an auburn wig.”

The live audience and fellow panelists were visibly stunned. A brief, stunned silence was followed by awkward laughter and a flood of shocked reactions both on air and off.

Kennedy’s choice of words was instantly clipped, reposted, and quoted across every major social media platform. Within minutes, the phrase “talking hemorrhoid in an auburn wig” became a viral trend, dominating Twitter/X, TikTok, and Instagram with memes, parody videos, and thousands of polarized opinions.

Some praised Kennedy for finally “saying what many were thinking,” arguing that Behar has spent years mocking conservatives without ever facing similar verbal retaliation. “Joy throws punches every day — it’s about time someone threw one back,” wrote a user on X.

Others, however, condemned the insult as deeply personal and mean-spirited, saying it crossed a line in political discourse. “Whatever happened to civil debate?” one post read. “This isn’t journalism — it’s schoolyard name-calling dressed up as commentary.”

Behar herself has not yet made a public statement, but insiders from The View’s production team suggest that she is furious behind the scenes and wants to respond. “She was livid when she heard it,” one source claimed. “She’s asking to address it directly on the show. Joy doesn’t back down from a fight.”

ABC executives are reportedly urging Behar to tread carefully, fearing that a prolonged public feud could shift The View‘s tone from political commentary to personal vendetta — something the network is eager to avoid amid already heated political climates.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has refused to walk back her words. In a follow-up appearance on Fox News the following day, she stood by the comment, even smirking as she referenced it again. “Look,” she said, “I’m not going to apologize for calling out hypocrisy. Joy dishes it every single day. But the minute someone speaks back, it’s ‘offensive’? Please.”

This developing feud is just the latest in a growing trend of highly personal political insults making their way into mainstream media. Critics warn that as cable news and daytime talk increasingly blur the lines between information and entertainment, the bar for professionalism and respect is getting lower by the day.

“This is no longer about left versus right,” said one media ethics expert. “It’s about whether our media personalities see themselves as journalists or as shock artists.”

And the stakes are high. The View, a long-running and highly influential program, has faced criticism in recent years for leaning heavily into partisan rhetoric. Joy Behar, in particular, has become known for her no-filter style and unapologetic liberal stances — which often draw sharp responses from the right.

Kennedy, a libertarian-leaning commentator with a background in MTV and economic punditry, has long been a vocal critic of what she calls “performative outrage” in progressive media. Still, this moment marked a new level of intensity — even by Fox News standards.

Advertisers and media watchdogs are now keeping a close eye on how both networks handle the fallout. Calls for public apologies, suspensions, or “on-air reconciliation” are gaining momentum online, as fans from both sides dig in.

Whether this feud will escalate or cool down remains to be seen. Some suggest Behar and Kennedy could face off in a televised debate, though no such event has been confirmed.

For now, the media world is divided — and captivated.

Kennedy may have delivered the line of the year, but in doing so, she’s reignited the battle over civility, freedom of speech, and just how personal political discourse should be in today’s polarized America.

One thing is certain: Joy Behar’s silence won’t last forever — and when she fires back, the next chapter in this media feud is bound to be just as explosive.