Whoopi Goldberg Suspended From The View Over 'Holocaust Remarks'

Actress Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended from The View for two weeks over her comments alleging race was not a factor in the Holocaust. 

ABC News President Kim Godwin announced her suspension Tuesday night, saying it was 'effective immediately'. 

'While Whoopi has apologized, I've asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments,' Godwin said in a tweet.

'The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.'  

ABC insiders told the Daily Beast that Whoopi's co-hosts - Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar and Ana Navarro -  are 'furious with the network’s decision' to suspend the actress. 

The stars have not publicly commented on the matter, however Hostin retweeted a Twitter post that reads: 'ADL making it clear here that the org is accepting Whoopi Goldeberg's apology.' 

Meantime, an ABC executive told the news outlet some network employees were 'really upset and don’t understand why it took two days' for Whoopi to be met with consequences. Before the suspension was announced, DailyMail.com had learned that several ABC staffers had called for her firing.

It is unclear if Whoopi will be paid during her suspension. The longtime host renegotiated a four-year deal with ABC in September 2021. Although financial details of her contract remain under wraps, Variety reported in 2016 that Whoopi's then-current annual salary was in $5 million range. If those figures hold true today, the talkshow host would be missing out on more than $96,000 each week. ABC News did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.  

The suspension came a day after Whoopi, 66, made the controversial comments on The View on Monday.  She referred to Jews and Nazis as 'two groups of white people' and said that because they were both white, it was about 'inhumanity' and not race'.  

She apologized hours later and again on Tuesday's morning episode, but the original remark sparked immediate international backlash with everyone from the Israeli Consular General in New York to the Auschwitz Memorial and Anti-Defamation League (ADL) taking offense.   

In a Tuesday night interview with CNN's Don Lemon, Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, said that although Whoopi's comments caused 'tremendous confusion and hurt,' he accepted her apology and hopes she can use her suspension as a time for 'introspection and learning'.

'She apologized last night online and then she did so again this morning. You know, and I accept her apology,' Greenblatt said.

'I know she's been a friend of the jewish community all throughout her career. And I respect that and appreciate it. I can't comment on ABC News' internal process, but what I will say is that I hope Whoopi can use the next two weeks for a process of introspection and learning.' 

Greenblatt added: 'Let's hope that she can use this time, use this opportunity, and use her amazing platform to educate herself and to share what she learns with her audience and with the country at large.'

He encouraged the television host to find ways to help further Holocaust education by visiting the Holocaust museum, meeting with survivors and working with the ADL. 

'There are lots of ways Whoopi can make I huge difference, and I hope she'll do that.'

Greenblatt also reiterated the Holocaust was 'absolutely about race'.

'I think [Whoopi] really, again, created a kind of confusion and hurt because the Holocaust was absolutely about race,' he told Lemon. 'It was a racialized anti-semitism.'

'And again, that might not fit with the way that some people think about race, the way all of us as Americans have to confront  it in this country - in this time when black Americans are still dealing with the legacy of Jim Crow and enslavement and systemic oppression.'

He continued: 'And yet, race is a social construct and it shows up differently in different societies.

'If we look back to Germany, the Nazis believed that they were the master race and Jews were a subhuman race ... They waged a war of extermination against the jewish people because of this belief in race. That's undeniable. It's what happened.'

Greenblatt also said Whoopi should be 'counseled, not cancelled' as she 'it seems like she's ready to commit to doing better'.

The ADL leader added that he's 'excited' to help the actress 'with that process'.

Meanwhile, social media users are slamming the network over Whoopi's suspension. 

'We don't learn through punishment. The suspension is wrong. We've gone too far,' tweeted Chris Safford.

'The people that decided that Whoopi’s should be suspended are a bunch no of spineless idiots. Did they ever suspend Megan McCain?? As a Jew I’m calling this bulls**t,' echoed Barbara Steinberg.  

'These so called “consequences” are cancel culture in many cases and two wrongs never made a right,' user @FleischmanSteve added. 'There’s too much of this s**t in this country and it’s obnoxious. I think Whoopi was wrong but didn’t deserve a suspension.'

Others argue the network's actions weren't severe enough and continue to call for her termination.

'Whoopi Goldberg makes a horrible comment about the Jews and gets suspended for 2 weeks, No that's not enough,' tweeted @bryan112886 'Fire her decrepit a** and let her enjoy retirement.'

'Roseanne Barr is a comedian and was fired for a joke. Whoopi is a comedian that wasn’t joking,' argued @hardinkk2.

'Imagine a white person or a Jew saying slavery wasn't about race, it was just business,' @ayDursi wrote.

'Then they proceed to downplay one of if not the most horrific American tragedies Unforgivable right? Then ask yourself why is Whoopi still on tv after saying identical comments.'

Twitter user @VisitorPaul added: 'Was Sharon Osborne "suspended for 2 weeks"? Nope, Whoopi needs to get fired!!' 

Whoopi posted an apology on Twitter Monday night saying the Holocaust was about 'both' race and inhumanity. 

'On today's show, I said the Holocaust "is not about race, but about man's inhumanity to man." I should have said it is about both. 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,' Goldberg said.

'The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver. I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused. Written with my sincerest apologies, Whoopi Goldberg,' she said. 

On Tuesday, she made an on-air apology, then interviewed the CEO of The Anti-Defamation League, before moving on to other topics with her co-hosts. 

Ahead of The View's show on Tuesday, a senior ABC News source told DailyMail.com that staff are stunned by the network's soft touch on her remarks, especially when it was so quick to fire Roseanne Barr over racist comments towards Valerie Jarrett. 

'These comments are absolutely abhorrent and outrageous and it’s time Disney and ABC grew a pair and fired her,' the source said.

'Disney took swift action and fired Roseanne Barr when she posted the awful tweet about Valerie Jarrett, yet Whoopi made her vile comments on ABC’s air and they do nothing about it? Where is the leadership from within Disney? 

'[Disney content chairman] Peter Rice needs to step up and do his job and fire Whoopi. How is this appropriate at all? What message do we send as a company?  Why is there one rule for Whoopi Goldberg – who gets a pass on everything and another rule for everyone else?' said the source. 

‘There is a blind spot on The View when it comes to anti-Semitism. It is never a big enough hate crime for them. 

They added that the comment on Monday was only the latest in a string of inflammatory claims made by Whoopi, who previously defended Bill Cosby on the show. 

'We were all outraged when Whoopi was defending Bill Cosby and ABC had to bring [legal analyst] Dan Abrams on the show to help her understand that her views surrounding Cosby were extremely problematic. 

'This was after fifty women, FIFTY, had come forward with serious allegations about him.' 

'People are livid within the news division as it completely undermines our credibility.' 

The source also alleged that former host Meghan McCain previously pitched the victim of a Jewish hate crime as a guest on the show but that she was told to conduct the interview for online only. 

Among those who fumed over Goldberg being allowed to stay on the show was Piers Morgan. 

'Sharon Osbourne was fired from The Talk for defending me against a fake charge of racism. Whoopi Goldberg said on The View yesterday that the Holocaust ‘wasn’t about race’, which for Jewish people is about as racist a comment as anyone could make. 

'Bet she doesn’t lose her job,' he said. 

Osborne was fired from The Talk, a CBS show, for defending Morgan against allegations he was racist because he did not believe everything the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, said.

Others have compared Whoopi's situation to that of Joe Rogan, the Spotify podcast host who was admonished by musicians because he hosted anti-vax opinions on his show. 

Spotify is standing by him and adding a content advisory warning to his shows, ignoring the demands of musicians like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young who threatened to pull their music off the streaming site because they disagreed with Rogan. 

Rogan has never disclosed his vaccination status. It's unclear if he is pro or against it but the very fact he was giving a platform to the topic of anti-vaxxing was enough, they said, to constitute disinformation.   

On Tuesday, Whoopi returned to The View and kicked off the show with an on-air apology. 

'Yesterday on our show I misspoke. I tweeted about it last night but I kind of want you to hear it from me directly. I feel a responsibility. 

'My words upset so many people which was never my intention. I understand why. The information I got was really helpful. 

'I said the Holocaust wasn't about race and was instead about man's inhumanity to man. 

'It is indeed about race because Hitler and the Nazis considered Jews to be the inferior race. 

'Words matter and mine are no exception. I regret my comments and I stand corrected,' she said. 

She then went on to interview Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, who spoke generally about anti-Semitism and why it is still a threat, before cutting to a commercial. 

Then, after the break, they resumed the 'hot topics' of the day including Rihanna's pregnancy.   

This article has been adapted from its original source.