Anson Mount, star of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” stated that his wife found his on-air kiss with “The View” co-host Joy Behar to be “hilarious.”
Mount appeared on the talk show Wednesday, and as he greeted the hosts, Behar kissed him on the lips, leaving lipstick on his mouth. Mount, who is married to photographer and author Darah Trang, recounted in an interview with TV Insider that he asked his wife for her forgiveness, to which she responded, “She thought it was hilarious.”
Behar, 83, playfully quipped after the kiss, “I’m old, but I’m not dead.” The incident, which occurred as Mount was leaving the stage, quickly went viral.
Mount, 53, suggested the public reaction might stem from surprise at his continued presence in the spotlight, especially since he has two young children. "I think people just assume that I’m not around anymore because I have two young kids. I think maybe they were surprised to see that I’m still alive,” he told TV Insider.
The actor noted that his previous appearance on “The View” was 13 years prior, during which he brought Behar flowers for her birthday. "I brought her flowers for her birthday, and I guess I made an impression,” he joked. “So, we’ll see what she does the next time.”
Mount and Trang married in 2018 and have two daughters, Clover, 4, and Violet, 1.
Fellow “The View” hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, and Sunny Hostin appeared surprised by the kiss. When Goldberg asked Behar if she was alright, Behar responded, “Last time he was here, he brought me flowers for her birthday and it’s never been the same between us.” Mount confirmed he was married, to which Behar replied, “I know, that’s what I mean.”
Some viewers reacted to the moment on social media, with comments on the show’s TikTok post questioning whether Behar had crossed a line or if the interaction constituted sexual harassment.