Whoopi Goldberg Absent From 'The View' Amid Backlash For Comparing Black Americans And People In Iran
The Oscar winner's comments sparked harsh criticism from Iranian dissidents and social media users, who called the comparison offensive and inaccurate.
Amid the uproar, Whoopi Goldberg appeared unfazed in a celebratory post from the Taobuk Festival, where she received an award for her book 'Bits and Pieces.'
Goldberg is currently away from 'The View' as the daytime talk show gears up for its annual summer break.
At the start of Monday's live episode, cohost Joy Behar filled viewers in on Goldberg's absence.
'We are all jealous of Whoopi today because she's in Italy — I hope it's 100 degrees,' Behar joked. "She's in Italy accepting an award for her book 'Bits and Pieces,' so she will be out this week."
According to Entertainment Weekly, the Oscar-winning actress is expected to return to the show's roundtable on July 7, once the program resumes regular programming after its usual July 4th hiatus.
During her time away, Behar will step into the moderator role, a position she routinely fills on Fridays when Goldberg typically takes the day off.
Ana Navarro also joined the panel for Monday's discussion, alongside Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, and Alyssa Farah Griffin.
Goldberg is known for her bold and controversial remarks and was once suspended from "The View" in 2022 for saying that the Holocaust was "not about race."
Her comments at the time ignited a wave of backlash, which led to her subsequently issuing a statement, apologizing to Jewish people.
It read, "I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused. As Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League shared, 'The Holocaust was about the Nazi's systematic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race.' I stand corrected."
The day after her apology statement, ABC News president, Kim Godwin, announced that Goldberg was suspended from "The View" for two weeks.
The actress returned after her suspension and resumed her role by stating that the show would continue to have "tough conversations."
Goldberg's recent absence from 'The View' comes on the heels of a fiery on-air exchange that stirred controversy online.
The heated moment unfolded during Wednesday's episode when co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin condemned Iran's oppressive regime, citing the execution of LGBTQ+ individuals and the imprisonment of women who violate strict dress codes.
However, Goldberg pushed back, making a provocative comparison between human rights abuses in Iran and violence against marginalized groups in the United States.
'We have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car. Listen, I'm sorry. They used to just keep hanging black people,' Goldberg said. "It is the same.'
Griffin strongly disagreed, emphasizing the extreme restrictions placed on Iranian citizens under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
'It is not even the same. I couldn't step foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now," she pointed out, highlighting the dangers faced by Iranian women under the country's morality laws.
Despite the pushback, Goldberg stood by her argument, "That's why I'm saying that it is the same," she insisted. "Murdering someone for their difference is not good, whoever does it. It's not good."
When Griffin countered that the U.S. is not Iran, Goldberg replied, 'Not if you're Black.'
Following her controversial comments comparing the Black American experience to life under Iran's oppressive regime, Goldberg got slammed by Iranian dissidents and social media users.
Dr. Sheila Nazarian, an Iranian-born plastic surgeon who fled the country with her family in 1985 after her father was targeted by the regime, spoke out against Goldberg's remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"Whoopi Goldberg's comparison between being Black in America and living under Iran's authoritarian regime is deeply misguided and dismisses the brutal realities faced by millions of Iranians," she said.
Netizens also took to social media to slam Goldberg following her controversial comment, with some even calling for her to be "fired" from "The View."
However, Goldberg appears unbothered by the backlash as she shared a celebratory moment from Italy on Instagram.
She posted a photo from the Taobuk Taormina International Book Festival, where she received an award for her book 'Bits and Pieces.'
"Thank you (Grazie!) @taobukfestival for giving me a beautiful experience in an extraordinary environment, an honorable award, and your kindness," she wrote. "Books are so important to all the world."
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