A New York City bakery has responded to claims made by actor and The View host Whoopi Goldberg that her order was refused because of her political views.
Goldberg, who has been a co-host on The View since 2007, is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and refused to say his name after he won the recent presidential election.
On Wednesday’s edition of the show (13 November), Goldberg was seen enjoying a round of Charlotte Russe desserts at the Hot Topics table in celebration of her 69th birthday.
However, the Sister Act star declined to name the bakery that made them, speculating that her initial order was declined on political grounds.
“My birthday dessert today was one of my mom’s favourites from when she was a kid, she talked about these all the time, they’re called Charlotte Russe,” explained Goldberg. “It’s a sponge cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. I should tell you, Charlotte Russe has no political leanings. The place that made these refused to make them for me.”
Her claim caused fellow host Sara Haines to spit out a mouthful of the dessert live on air.
Elaborating on the issue, Goldberg claimed: “They said that their ovens had gone down, but folks went and got them anyway, which is why I’m not telling you who made them. It’s not… because I’m a woman, but perhaps they did not like my politics. But, that’s okay, because you know what, listen, this is my mother’s celebration. Pick these up and celebrate with me and my mom. Thank you everyone for celebrating my birthday today.”
Entertainment Weekly has since reported that the bakery in question is Holtermann’s Bakery on Staten Island, which has denied the accusations.
The bakery owner, Jill Holtermann, told Entertainment Weekly that two sets of the desserts were ordered, set for deliveries on 6 November and 13 November.
Holtermann explains that she declined the orders due to issues the bakery was having with their boiler, adding that she “didn’t want to make a commitment that I can’t carry through”.
“I said to Whoopi, ‘I can’t do it right now,’” Holterman said. “We have so many things going on with my boiler,’ because the building is from 1930, so, when she called me, I had no idea [if we could] be baking everything.”
She maintains that the order was not refused because of political leanings.
Holtermann adds that an unidentified woman picked up 50 of the desserts on Wednesday, which she was able to make despite the boiler issues.
The View has been contacted for comment.
