ABC News on Tuesday suspended “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks over remarks she made about the Holocaust, CNN reports.
Goldberg argued on Monday that the Holocaust was “not about race” but about “man’s inhumanity to man.”
Goldberg’s comments prompted criticism and multiple apologies from the host.
"I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused," she said in a written apology.
The day later, she apologized again on “The View.”
"I said something that I feel a responsibility for not leaving unexamined, because my words upset so many people, which was never my intention," Goldberg said. "I understand why now, and for that I am deeply, deeply grateful because the information I got was really helpful, and it helped me understand some different things."
Suspension:
Despite the apologies, ABC suspended Goldberg on Wednesday for two weeks.
ABC News president Kim Godwin called Goldberg’s comments “wrong and hurtful.”
"While Whoopi has apologized, I've asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments," Godwin said in a statement. "The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities."
Godwin said in an email to staff that disciplinary issues are “never easy.”
"But words matter and we must be cognizant of the impact our words have," she said.
Hosts “furious”:
Goldberg’s fellow hosts on “The View” are “furious” about the suspension, according to the Daily Beast.
“I love Whoopi Goldberg. I love The View,” co-host Ana Navarro told the outlet. “This was an incredibly unfortunate incident. Whoopi is a lifelong ally to the Jewish community. She is not an antisemite. Period. I am sad. And I have nothing else to say.”
Goldberg is also “livid” about the move, according to the New York Post.
“She feels ABC executives mishandled this. She followed their playbook. She went on ‘The Late Show With Steven Colbert’ and then apologized again on ‘The View’ the next day,” a source said, adding that Goldberg feels “humiliated.”
“Her ego has been hurt and she’s telling people she’s going to quit,” the source said. “Suspension from ‘The View’ is like getting suspended from Bravo. The bar is very low.”
