During a recent episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg sparked confusion among the audience when she made a comment about having spent time in jail. The discussion arose during the Hot Topics segment, where the panel debated whether they would prefer hiking the Appalachian Trail alone or spending six months in jail.
After some banter among the hosts, Goldberg jokingly mentioned that she had done both. This led to curiosity among her co-hosts, with Joy Behar inquiring about the details of Goldberg's supposed jail time. Goldberg later clarified her statement, emphasizing that it was meant as a humorous remark and urged viewers not to take it seriously.
Despite her warning, some viewers attempted to research the incident, prompting Goldberg to humorously discourage them from digging further. A brief investigation revealed that Goldberg's reference to jail stemmed from her arrest in May 1985 at the University of California Berkeley during a protest against racial policies in South Africa.
Goldberg and others were taken into custody for blocking entrances to the campus headquarters. She later appeared in court and was released after signing a promise to appear on the charge of blocking a public entrance.
Ultimately, Goldberg's comment about spending time in jail was clarified as a lighthearted joke, shedding light on her past activism and involvement in social causes.