'The View' host Whoopi Goldberg claims 'people were petting me' after misunderstanding her Met Gala dress

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actress Whoopi Goldberg revealed people misunderstood her dress at the Met Gala 2025 and kept approaching her to 'pet' her outfit, while co-hosting the Tuesday, May 6 episode of 'The View.'

Whoopi Goldberg's appearance at the 2025 Met Gala

Goldberg, 69, walked the blue carpet at the 2025 Met Gala in a custom gown that modeled a tuxedo silhouette. The button-down closure continued down the center and separated what appeared to be fur panels along the sides, as described by the Daily Express US.

However, that was not the case, as Goldberg told her co-hosts, "Let me tell you one more thing. People came up and were petting me. They thought that was fur. That’s beading. That’s all sequins.”

The theme for this year's event was 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', inspired by The Met's guest curator Monica L Miller's 2009 book 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity'. Vogue revealed that the focus was on the emergence, growth, and significance of Black dandyism.

'The View' co-hosts praise Whoopi Goldberg's Met Gala 2025 appearance

The co-hosts on the ABC talk show were impressed with Goldberg's look at the event, especially Sunny Hostin, who shared that the dress was embroidered with 350,000 matte sequins and took 7,700 hours to make.

“When I saw her (Goldberg) on the carpet, I sent her about 10 text messages," said Hostin. "Whoopi was FLY."

“The shoes were beautiful too,” remarked Joy Behar, bringing attention to Goldberg's black and white patent leather boots, which, along with the entire ensemble, were designed by Thom Browne.

Goldberg thanked Browne and Anna Wintour at the very beginning for the wonderful experience she had at the gala, and shared that it was her first time attending since 2021.

"Everyone committed to it in a way they hadn’t before," she noted.

Met Gala 2025 hosted by group of Black male celebrities

Officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the Met Gala is the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan that is held on the first Monday of May every year, and is widely regarded to be one of the most prominent fashion events across the globe.

The 2025 Met Gala took place on May 5 and was hosted by a group of Black male celebrities, including musician and Men's Creative Director for Louis Vuitton Pharrell Williams, Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton, actor Colman Domingo, and rapper A$AP Rocky.

As always, the mastermind behind the event was Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor-in-chief. While LeBron James was the honorary chair, he had to miss the event due to a knee injury.