ABC, a division of Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS), suspended “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks following her comments on the program that the Holocaust was “not about race” but was about “white people doing it to white people.”
What Happened: On Monday’s episode of “The View,” one of the segments involved a decision by a Tennessee school district to remove “Maus,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its curriculum.
Goldberg chimed into the conversation by stating, “Let’s be truthful about it because the Holocaust isn’t about race. It’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man.”
When challenged by her co-stars about the Nazi doctrine of racial purity as the driving force of the Holocaust, Goldberg insisted, “But these are two white groups of people. This is white people doing it to white people, so y’all going to fight amongst yourselves.”
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What Happened Next: Goldberg’s remarks generated a harsh reaction from the Anti-Defamation League and the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Goldberg appeared Monday night on Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show to apologize, stating she viewed racism based on skin color only but realized her comments created agitation.
“I get it, folks are angry,” she said. “I accept that, and I did it to myself.”
Goldberg also apologized on Tuesday’s episode of “The View” by noting that her “words upset so many people, which was never my intention.”
On Tuesday evening, ABC News President Kim Godwin issued a statement announcing Goldberg would be on a two-week suspension.
“Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments,” Godwin said. “While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments. The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.”
Photo: Courtesy of ABC.
