Whoopi Goldberg clarifies she is not a racist after admitting past drunken mistakes
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘The View’ host Whoopi Goldberg felt the need to publicly state that she is "not a racist" after admitting during a segment that she had said "stupid stuff" while intoxicated in the past. Her explanation came amid a live discussion about a political candidate's troubled past.
The conversation began while discussing Democratic Maine politician Graham Platner, who is running against Senator Susan Collins. Platner’s past included a skull tattoo widely associated with Nazi symbolism. He explained that he was drunk when he got the tattoo in 2007 while serving in the Marine Corps in Croatia, prompting the cohosts to discuss alcohol and controversial statements.
Joy Behar opens discussion on alcohol and truth
Panelist Joy Behar began by saying, "When you're drunk, you tell the truth." The conversation shifted to actor Mel Gibson, who faced allegations of anti-Semitism following remarks made during his 2006 arrest. Behar joked about her own drinking, adding, "When I have a couple of glasses of wine, I don't start spouting Nazi slogans."
This prompted Goldberg to share her personal experience with drinking. "When I was drinking, strange stuff came out of my mouth, yes. You know what, nothing like that to us now, but to people then, it would've sounded..." Goldberg said, with Behar interjecting, "Yeah, but it wasn't racist. It wasn't anti-Semitic."
Whoopi Goldberg takes responsibility for past remarks
Goldberg responded, "You don't know that," and explained why she could not fully rule out saying something inflammatory. She told her co-workers, “I can't tell you that when I used to get drunk, I didn't do stupid stuff," adding, "I know I drank and did stupid stuff, and I took responsibility for it."
She stressed the importance of taking responsibility for past actions before they are discovered by others. Turning to the camera, Goldberg said, "And don't think I don't think y'all will be looking for stuff. You can't find anything of me drunk, because I haven't drank in years."
Whoopi Goldberg clarifies message on-air
After returning from the break, Goldberg clarified: "Welcome back. Before we start, I just want to point out that my point was that people say stupid stuff sometimes when they're inebriated."
She added a note to prevent misinterpretation: "I'm not a racist. I know how folks like to send that stuff in. Please don't do that." The clarification came in the context of ‘The View’ cohosts, including Goldberg, frequently speaking out against racism in America. For instance, Republican panelist Ana Navarro had previously condemned members of her own party who toured controversial immigrant detention facilities like Alligator Alcatraz in Florida.
