Whoopi Goldberg Reveals She’s Using a Walker Upon Return to ‘The View’

Whoopi Goldberg is “glad to be back” at the discussion table! After a week-long absence, Goldberg returned to ABC’s The View on Tuesday, June 29, though she is bearing an added accessory. Amid a battle with sciatica, the longtime moderator of the ABC talk show returned with a walker, quipping that while she was absent, she “turned into this little old Black lady. It’s really strange.”

Resuming her spot as moderator, Goldberg opened Tuesday’s show by addressing her absence, which began on Monday, June 21 and sparked plenty of concern among viewers. Goldberg said she was out because she was dealing with sciatica, which she explained as “basically a bulging disc in your back, and it impacts the sciatic nerve, sends pain down your leg.” She compared it to “a bad boyfriend who came back, who came back to mess with me” and said she was “trying to move my leg,” a task that was “impossible to do. And it was really horrible.”

Goldberg said that following her absence, she is “glad to be back” with her fellow co-hosts, though her return to the show came with something else: a walker. Goldberg revealed to viewers, “I have a walker, which kind of freaks me out.” Although she said a walker is something she didn’t know she needed, it is now her “new best friend” and she is “just gliding along. So, that’s what happened to me, and you know, I’m told that it comes out of nowhere. You get it.” Her co-host Joy Behar, who said that she has experienced sciatica in the past, showed Goldberg with a little love, telling her, “You look great! You look rested!” Goldberg responded by joking, “I’ve turned into this little old Black lady. It’s really strange.”

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Goldberg’s return to The View was met with excitement from fans. Amid her week-long absence, many viewers had expressed concern with Goldberg’s wellbeing and sent her plenty of well-wishes. Upon her return, one fan tweeted, “glad to see you back and well.”

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“I’m so happy you doing well. I know sciatica is no joke. I remember getting injections,” wrote one viewer. “I miss you girl!”

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“Sending MUUUUCH LOOOVE TO EVERYONE!!!” commented another following Goldberg’s opening monologue. “I love you Whoopi sending some healing vibes your way !!!”

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“Welcome back Whoopi!!” cheered another person. “We missed your whimsical yet snappy energy, your wit, your wisdom, …your errythang’ Mama! Don’t Leave Us Again, Pleeease!”

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“No shame in using a mobility device [Whoopi Goldberg],” one fan tweeted in response to Goldberg’s revelation that she is now using a walker. “Glad you love it.”

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“Blessings!!! I’m so glad you’re better [Whoopi Goldberg] we missed you!!” tweeted one viewer, with another adding, “Happy to see your smile, your view! Welcome back.”