Whoopi Goldberg returned to The View on Monday, Feb. 14, after a two-week suspension following her apologies for remarks regarding the Holocaust.
The Sister Act actress expressed her gratitude to the audience for allowing her to return to the show following her suspension, promising that she would not shy away from “difficult topics.”
The actress and comedian, 66, was fired from the American talk show at the start of the month after arguing that the Holocaust, a slaughter of European Jews that took place from 1941 to 1945 during World War II, had nothing to do with race.
Whoopi’s controversial remarks came during a discussion with her co-stars over the US school board’s decision to prohibit Maus, a graphic novel about the experiences of the Holocaust survivors.
As one of her co-hosts put it, “the Holocaust was a hoax.” “”But these are two white groups of people,” Whoopi said, referring to white supremacy. You’re missing the point.
“It goes down this alley the moment you turn it into a race. Let’s address it for what it is: how people treat one another. It’s a serious issue. It makes no difference if you’re black or white; blacks, whites, and Jews all eat one other.”
Her remark sparked controversy, and she quickly apologized.
Whoopi added in an emotional statement uploaded hours after the episode aired: “‘The Holocaust is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man,’ I remarked on today’s show. It’s about both, I should have said.”
“‘The Anti-Defamation League (ADLJonathan )’s Greenblatt stated,
She said, ” “My unwavering support for the Jewish people around the world has never wavered. I’m sorry for the inconvenience I’ve caused. Please accept my heartfelt apologies for writing this. Whoopi Goldberg is a well-known comedian.”
Despite Whoopi’s prompt apologies, ABC News President Kim Godwin has suspended her.
When she returned to the show on Monday, February 14, Whoopi immediately addressed her absence, promising not to shy away from discussing difficult things on-air in the future.
“Hello and welcome to The View. And, sure, I’ve returned “As the show began, the returning celebrity greeted the audience and watchers.
“There’s something magical about being a part of a show like this.” The View is who we are and what we do. We don’t always do it as gracefully as we could, and occasionally, well, yeah.”
During her two-week suspension, the EGOT winner expressed gratitude to everyone who came out to her, and stated that she had been doing “a lot of listening” during her time away from The View.
“We’re going to keep having uncomfortable dialogues,” she promised those who were watching.
“And in part,” Whoopi said, “because this is what we were hired to do.”
“It isn’t always pleasant. And that’s not necessarily what other people want to hear, but it’s a privilege to sit at this table and be a part of it.