Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran may have apologized to Whoopi Goldberg for her controversial comments about her body, but that doesn’t mean fans of The View are ready to forgive her. In fact, after Corcoran issued her apology on Oct. 8 amid growing backlash, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears, with some viewers seeming to believe the apology is nothing more than a haphazard attempt to save face.
The controversy surrounding Corcoran began back on Oct. 8 when the Shark Tank entrepreneur appeared on the ABC talk show alongside her fellow Sharks Mark Cuban and Daymond John, during which they discussed the historic addition of Emma Grede as the first Black female guest on the show. Grede co-founded Good American with Khloé Kardashian, creating a line of denim that has been praised for its size-inclusivity, which The View co-host Ana Navarro praised as “great jeans” that are “for everybody.” Corcoran found herself in the midst of controversy after Goldberg joked she wasn’t sure if the jeans would “fit this COVID [butt],” to which Corcoran chimed in, “When you get finished with those jeans and decide you don’t like them, give them to me — I’m going to make two pairs.”
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As social media erupted with backlash, many slamming Corcoran for body-shaming Goldberg, the Shark Tank star jumped onto Twitter to offer up an apology. In a video message, Corcoran acknowledged that she “made a joke at Whoopi’s expense,” which she said she realized “now wasn’t funny.” She went on to add, “for anyone who I may have offended unintentionally, I just wanted to say I really am very sorry.” While Goldberg ultimately replied to the tweet with, “I know your humor, i knew you were kidding,” fans weren’t as convinced, and the apology only seemed to lead to more backlash. Keep scrolling to see how The View fans reacted to the apology.
‘Let me fix that’
“Let me fix that,” tweeted one person. “‘I said something rude to Whoopi that may have hurt her feelings and likely hurt the feelings of several other people, whether they are overweight, love someone who is overweight, or are just good people. Body-shaming is unkind, and I am sorry for what I said.’”
‘Unkind is unkind’
“Whoopi might be over it … I ain’t over it… unkind is unkind,” replied somebody else. “You are in a business where you should know what to say and when say it… too much money makes some folks awful!”
‘Try again’
“Since money is your lingua franca…How about a big donation to a charity Whoopi chooses, a matching donation to one of ANA’s choosing, & a 3rd matching donation to a charity that promotes body positivity/help for eating disorders,” suggested another The View viewer. “Would be more meaningful than this BS apology.”
‘So disappointed’
“Why Barbara? Why would u go there?” asked somebody else. “So disappointed in u. Whoopie is a treasure…R.E.S.P.E.C.T!”
‘Not an apology’
“I really hate the ‘if I offended you, I’m sorry’ apologies. That’s not an apology,” tweeted another person. “Essentially you’re saying ‘hey! You shouldn’t have been offended at all. But if you are, fine: sorry.’ Just own it all, Barbara.”
‘Own your mistake’
“‘To those I may of offended’ is not an apology. It lends responsibility on the listener and implies they may be the one lacking a sense of humor,” wrote a fan. “Take full responsibility and lead with only yourself.”
‘Digs a deeper hole’
“Barbara, I respect and admire you, and love your spontaneous risk taking with what you say, and your transparency and authenticity,” commented another. “But this video is upon reflection, and digs a deeper hole. Please give it some thought and try again.”