Whoopi Goldberg says she'd leave 'The View' if money weren't an issue: 'I work for a living'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Whoopi Goldberg, one of the longest-serving hosts of 'The View', made a candid admission on the Tuesday, November 12 episode of the ABC show, revealing that if she had all the money she needed, she would no longer be working on the daytime talk show.

"I appreciate that people are having a hard time. Me too. I work for a living," said the EGOT winner during a conversation about the struggles of working-class Americans.

Whoopi Goldberg says she identifies with the struggles of the working class

The 68-year-old actress and comedian, who has been a permanent co-host of 'The View' since 2007, went on to explain how she identifies with those facing financial hardships, even though her career spans decades of success.

During a "Hot Topic" discussion about the reelection of Donald Trump, Goldberg shared, "If I had all the money in the world, I would not be here, OK? So, I’m a working person, you know?"

She elaborated on her perspective by talking about her responsibilities toward her family, stressing that she’s not immune to the difficulties others are facing. "My kid has to feed her family. My great-granddaughter has to be fed by her family. I know it’s hard out there," said Goldberg.

She expressed support for politicians like New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who wanted to know people's thoughts on why they voted for Trump. 

"I love what [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] did. Yay. We talk to people all the time who say, ‘This is what’s bothering me.’ But the thing that’s bothering everybody should not be the thing that puts 85% of other people in danger. I think that’s what we’re saying," noted Goldberg. 

Whoopi Goldberg faces backlash for blaming supermarket owners for rising grocery prices

Whoopi Goldberg’s remarks about her financial situation and her work as a television host stand in stark contrast to the criticism she has received over her previous comments about rising grocery prices.

Just days ago, the 69-year-old found herself at the center of a public backlash after she accused supermarket owners of contributing to rising food prices during Thursday's broadcast of 'The View'. 

"The folks that own the groceries are pigs," said Goldberg, linking the rising cost of groceries to what she perceived as greed within the grocery store industry, claiming that the problem wasn’t due to the economy or government policy but was a direct result of supermarket owners’ actions.

"Your pocketbook is bad, not because the Bidens did anything. Not because the economy is bad. Your grocery bills are what they are because the folks that own the groceries are pigs," remarked the 'Sister Act' actress. 

This led the National Grocers Association (NGA), a group representing more than 21,000 stores nationwide, to express strong disapproval of Goldberg's language in a letter addressed to The View's executive producer, Brian Teta. 

The NGA wrote, "We are deeply troubled by these remarks … referring to people who own grocery stores as 'pigs,'" explaining that grocery stores operate on "razor-thin" profit margins, often between 1% and 2%, and are frequently mischaracterized as the cause of food inflation.

"The statements that falsely depict grocers as ‘gouging’ not only exacerbate these tensions but also risk further harm to these frontline workers who have continued to serve the public through challenging times," added the letter. 

Zulema Wiscovitch, who owns two Associated stores in New York and is co-president of Associated Foods Holdings, also expressed frustrations with Goldberg's words.

"For us to receive this kind of attack from a public figure is totally unacceptable," told Wiscovitch to the New York Post, adding that her comments displayed a lack of understanding of the broader economic issues affecting food prices. 

Wiscovitch further explained that grocery stores are grappling with higher costs from manufacturers and that the rising prices are a reflection of inflation and increased labor costs, not corporate greed.

She criticized Goldberg’s lack of awareness, saying, "It shows a lack of understanding of what’s going on with the economy."