Whoopi Goldberg Apologizes After Facing Criticism Over Holocaust Remarks on ‘The View’
Whoopi Goldberg has offered an apology after facing criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, the U.S. Holocaust Museum and other Jewish organizations for her remarks on the latest episode of “The View,” in which she stated that the Holocaust was “not about race.”
“On today’s show, I said the Holocaust ‘is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man.’ I should have said it is about both,” Goldberg wrote in a statement shared on her social media. “The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never waiver. I’m sorry for the hurt I have caused.”
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Earlier on Monday, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, responded to “The View” co-hosts comments on Twitter, calling her remarks “dangerous.”
“The Holocaust was about the Nazi’s systemic annihilation of the Jewish people — who they deemed to be an inferior race,” wrote Greenblatt. “They dehumanized them and used their racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous.”
Goldberg’s comments came during a discussion on the program regarding a Tennessee school board’s ban of “Maus,” a nonfiction graphic novel about cartoonist Art Spiegelman’s father’s experience surviving the Holocaust.
“Let’s be truthful about it because [the] Holocaust isn’t about race,” Goldberg said on Monday’s episode. “It’s not about race. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man… These are two white groups of people. The minute you turn it into race it goes down this alley. Let’s talk about it for what it is. It’s [about] how people treat each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re Black or white, Jews — it’s each other.”
Goldberg’s comments sparked immediate, sweeping criticism from Jewish organizations, including the U.S. Holocaust Museum and StopAntisemitism.org.
“Six million of us were gassed, starved and massacred because we were deemed an inferior race by the Nazis,” StopAntisemitism.org wrote on Twitter. “How dare you minimize our trauma and suffering!”
Although the Holocaust Museum did not cite Goldberg by name, the organization shared an statement that “racism was central to Nazi ideology” on Monday afternoon.
Goldberg’s remarks have also drawn criticism from Jewish figures in entertainment. Michael Rapaport shared a video of himself in which he calls out “The View” co-host.
“You need to apologize. You need to explain yourself,” Rapaport stated.
Variety has reached out to “The View” for comment.
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