Whoopi Goldberg Absent From ‘The View’ Amid Backlash Over Comments Comparing Blacks To Iranians

by Gee NY

Whoopi Goldberg is off the air this week as criticism intensifies over controversial remarks she made comparing the Black American experience to the oppressive regime in Iran.

The Emmy and Oscar-winning star and longtime moderator of The View is currently in Italy receiving an award at the Taobuk Taormina International Book Festival for her memoir Bits and Pieces. But back in the U.S., she’s at the center of a growing backlash.

Goldberg sparked outrage last week during a heated on-air exchange about human rights abuses in Iran. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin criticized Iran’s harsh treatment of women and LGBTQ+ individuals, to which Goldberg responded by citing examples of racial violence and homophobia in the U.S.

“We have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car,” Goldberg said on air. “They used to just keep hanging Black people. It is the same.”

When Griffin pushed back, stating:

“It is not even the same,” and cited Iran’s morality laws, Goldberg doubled down: “That’s why I’m saying that it is the same… Murdering someone for their difference is not good, whoever does it… Not if you’re Black.”

Iranian Dissidents Respond

Goldberg’s comments were met with swift condemnation from Iranian dissidents and social media users who found the comparison “offensive” and “inaccurate.” Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a prominent Iranian-born plastic surgeon and activist, told 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.”

Online backlash was equally harsh, with some users calling for Goldberg’s removal from The View.

Joy Behar Addresses Whoopi’s Absence

Goldberg’s absence from the show came just days after the controversy erupted. During Monday’s live broadcast, co-host Joy Behar explained that Goldberg was traveling.

“We are all jealous of Whoopi today because she’s in Italy,” Behar said, noting Goldberg’s award for her book Bits and Pieces. “She will be out this week.”

Goldberg remains active on Instagram, where she posted from the Taobuk Festival, seemingly unfazed by the online outrage.

“Thank you (Grazie!) @taobukfestival for giving me a beautiful experience… Books are so important to all the world,” she wrote.

Not Her First Controversy

This isn’t Goldberg’s first time facing backlash for her on-air comments. In 2022, she was suspended from The View for two weeks after claiming the Holocaust was “not about race.” She later apologized and returned to the show, vowing to continue having “tough conversations.”

With The View heading into its usual July 4th break, Goldberg is expected to return to the roundtable on July 7.

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