It wouldn’t be a day on The View if its panel of co-hosts weren’t offending one group or another with their opinions. Whoopi Goldberg, specifically, is often the recipient of blowback after offering her blunt takes on a number of "Hot Topics." She recently had a lot to say about how judgmental society has become, and the Sister Act star apparently blames that phenomenon on reality TV, specifically American Idol, calling its 2002 premiere the “downfall of society.” Those sentiments are allegedly not sitting well with the singing competition’s current panel of judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, sources report.
Whoopi Goldberg made her bold claim about the fellow ABC show during an episode of The View in May, during a conversation about the Netflix documentary Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me. The co-hosts spoke about how Smith was covered in the media, and Goldberg’s comments came as part of a larger observation about people being “judgy.” American Idol, the longtime moderator said, gave the home audience the ability to judge other people by voting on the singers — a power that has since grown out of control, she said. The current judges apparently didn’t take too kindly to Goldberg’s sentiments, with an insider telling RadarOnline:
Katy, Lionel, and Luke are all boycotting The View. You can't blame someone for literally destroying civilization, which is what Whoopi said, and then expect them to sit down and talk with you. The next time the Idol judges do press, they will appear on all ABC's shows — but not The View.
The source is alleging that Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were so put off by Whoopi Goldberg’s comments that they will skip The View when it comes time to make the rounds for Season 22.
Their reported boycott comes despite Whoopi Goldberg’s clarification — at the prompting of a producer — that she was talking more about American Idol’s days on Fox, before it moved to ABC in 2018. The EGOT winner acknowledged that the show has changed since switching networks, saying her comments were not aimed at the current judges.
Specifically the co-hosts mentioned the “Simon Cowell Era,” when the British record executive was known to give some pretty harsh feedback to the contestants. It’s since been revealed that much of that rudeness was faked for TV, and that’s pretty easy to believe if you watch him on America’s Got Talent these days, where his persona is unrecognizable from the man who appeared on the early days of American Idol.
Whoopi Goldberg’s comments come just two months after American Idol’s current trio of judges appeared on The View to promote Season 21, which wrapped in May. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the coming months, and if they will, in fact, take a pass on the ABC daytime talk show during their next round of promotion.
Until then, you can see what other "Hot Topics" come up on The View, which airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC, or catch up on past episodes with a Hulu subscription. Be sure to also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.
