Whoopi Goldberg was caught by surprise when a woman from the audience heckled her during a live broadcast of “The View.” Goldberg responded to this audience participant causing her cohosts and the network grief.
Whoopi Goldberg had an on-air incident that made it on the radar of the popular show Entertainment Tonight. “Yikes,” the ET host began in their report. “This episode of The View didn’t get off to a smooth start with Whoopi Goldberg clapping back at what seemed to be a heckler in the audience.”
The drama unfolded at the very beginning of the show. All of the hosts came out to take their seats to a “very happy” audience when one particularly enthusiastic member shouted at the Oscar-winning actress, Entertainment Weekly reported.
“We’re happy to see ya’ll. Cool, well, go on and have a seat,” said Goldberg, adding that the audience was “very happy.” She then turned to one female member of the audience to address something she said. It’s important to note live broadcasts like The View strictly frown on their hosts engaging with the audience in a negative way.
“Did you just call me an old broad? Yeah?” asked a visibly stunned Goldberg. As the camera cut to a woman who had a large fur hat on, the Sister Act star stated, “She said, ‘You old broad,’ and I was like, hey, it’s Wednesday, and I am an old broad, and happy about it!”
The cohosts at the table laughed loudly, hoping it would diffuse the situation. Cohost Sunny Hostin tried to intervene by pointing out that being an “old broad” is better than “the alternative,” seemingly referring to dying young. “The alternative is not attractive to any of us,” Goldberg said. “We all want to be old broads and old dudes, you know?”
Many social media users had their own take on Goldberg’s reaction to the heckler amid the scandal of the comedian’s Holocaust remarks. “She should feel lucky to be called an old broad,” one commenter posted. “That would have been way down on the list of what she could be called. Racist would be close to the top. And she use to be so funny in the movies she was in…..so sad.”
Another critic believed the race of the heckler had something to do with the outcome. “Black heckler: Pat on the back and an invitation to meet the old broad backstage,” they wrote. “White heckler: Grabbed by the collar and tossed out of the building. Restraining order forthcoming from the old broad. Life in America.”
This latest upset by Goldberg is backed up by speculation that she may be on thin ice with the ABC network. Goldberg has recently been the subject of several hot topics including repeating the Holocaust slur that got her suspended from the TV show.
“Recently while doing press in London, I was asked about my comments from earlier this year. I tried to convey to the reporter what I had said and why, and attempted to recount that time,” said Goldberg in her most recent apology. “It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments, especially after talking with and hearing people like rabbis and old and new friends weighing in.
“I’m still learning a lot, and believe me, I heard everything everyone said to me. I believe that the Holocaust was about race, and I am still as sorry now as I was then that I upset, hurt, and angered people,” the actress continued. “My sincere apologies again, especially to everyone who thought this was a fresh rehash of the subject. I promise it was not.”