Whoopi Goldberg has urged people to rethink how society responds to sexual misconduct in her recent statement. She said protecting women also means educating men and demanding accountability from those in positions of power.
The The View co-host made the comments while discussing the wider culture around sexual assault, questioning why people are still surprised when harmful behaviour continues. But her remarks have also brought some of her own past controversies back into the spotlight, with fans pointing to her previous comments involving Bella Thorne and Roman Polanski.
Whoopi Goldberg Says: 'Protect Women'
During a recent episode of The View, Goldberg spoke about what she sees as a wider problem with the way sexual misconduct is discussed and handled. 'This has been going on, this kind of mindset,' Goldberg said. She questioned why people who should be asking what actually happened can instead immediately decide what they believe took place.
Goldberg then turned to the ongoing public interest in the Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing that society cannot claim to prioritise protecting women while people are still demanding more information about cases involving powerful figures.
'Yeah, so I don't understand why this is a shock,' she said, questioning why people are surprised when harmful behaviour continues if it has been normalised by people at the top. Her message was direct: 'You have to protect women, you have to educate your men.'
Goldberg also criticised what she described as a culture in which people are taught to record incidents and talk about them, but do not necessarily take responsibility for intervening. 'We've educated people that mob mentality is how you go and you get stuff done, and then you don't have to take responsibility,' she said. 'For me, this has to stop at the top.'
@theviewabc Whoopi Goldberg: "We all have to put together the fact that you have to protect women. You have to educate your men."
♬ original sound - The View
Bella Thorne Controversy Resurfaces
Goldberg's comments have prompted some people to revisit her 2019 controversy with Bella Thorne. The actress had shared intimate photographs of herself after saying that a hacker was threatening to release them. During a discussion on The View, Goldberg criticised the actress for taking the photographs, warning about the risks of storing intimate images online.
Thorne later hit back at Goldberg, saying the comments made her feel ashamed of her body and sexuality. At the time, Thorne also said she no longer wanted to appear on The View following the incident.
The exchange sparked a wider debate about victim-blaming and whether responsibility should be placed on someone whose private images were allegedly obtained or threatened to be released without their consent.
Bella Thorne Called Whoopi Goldberg's Comments About Her Nude Photos "Sick And Honestly Disgusting" https://t.co/qw876Ynimr
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) June 19, 2019
Roman Polanski's Sexual Assault Case
Another controversy dates back to 2009, when Goldberg faced backlash over her comments about filmmaker Roman Polanski. He had pleaded guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. While discussing his arrest on her show, Goldberg argued that what happened was not 'rape-rape', a description that drew widespread criticism.
Goldberg later clarified her comments, saying she had been trying to distinguish between the legal charge and the commonly understood meaning of rape. However, the remarks continued to generate controversy because of the victim's age and the circumstances of the case.
Goldberg Facing Renewed Scrutiny
Goldberg's latest comments have therefore been met with renewed scrutiny from people familiar with those earlier controversies. Her message was focused on prevention, arguing that protecting women cannot simply mean telling women to be more careful. Instead, she called for men to be educated about responsibility and for people in powerful positions to be held accountable.
At the same time, her earlier comments about Thorne and Polanski have given some viewers reason to question how her current position fits with statements she has made in the past.
