Another ‘The View’ Co-Host Gives Fiery Defense of Whoopi Goldberg After Suspension

The View panelist Sara Haines is throwing her support behind her co-host, Whoopi Goldberg, as the Academy Award winner faces scrutiny and suspension from the daytime TV show in light of her comment regarding the Holocaust. 

Haines shared a photo of the two hosts having a laugh at the table as she snapped a selfie. “This just popped up and warmed my heart,” Haines wrote in the caption. “That’s my Whoops!!!!”

The picture quickly stirred up added controversy in the comments section. Both Goldberg’s supporters and those against her gathered together to share their opinions on the situation under the sweet photo. But Haines had a special message for the people throwing dirt on The Color Purple alum. “I’d like to invite people trolling the post to go play somewhere else,” she said. “To learn from a moment is all we can ask of anyone. And prioritizing punitive measures at the expense of the message/issue (and teaching moment) are misguided.”

Goldberg came under fire for her comments on a recent episode claiming that the Holocaust was not about race. “If you’re going to do this, then let’s be truthful about it, because the Holocaust isn’t about race,” said Goldberg. To which, her co-host Joy Behar asked if not about race, what was the tragedy about. “It’s about man’s inhumanity to man, that’s what it’s about,” Goldberg said. 

That same night, Goldberg posted an apology on social media and echoed her remarks taking back her words on Tuesday’s episode. “Yesterday on the show I misspoke,” Goldberg said on The View. “[The Holocaust] is indeed about race, because Hitler and the Nazis considered the Jews to be an inferior race. Now, words matter, and mine are no exception. I regret my comments and I stand corrected. I also stand with the Jewish people.”

However, that didn’t stop ABC president Kim Godwin from hitting Goldberg with a two-week suspension from the show. “Effectively immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments,” Godwin said, per TMZ. “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.”