Whoopi Goldberg Says Cast of The View Isn’t 'Truly Fighting': 'You’d Actually Know It'
Whoopi Goldberg is here to squash rumors of behind-the-scenes animosity between her co-hosts on The View.
While stopping by Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, the Oscar winner, 64, downplayed claims that she and the other women on the morning show’s panel — including Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Abby Huntsman, and Meghan McCain — take their on-camera bouts backstage.
“I’ve been there for almost 10 years; everyone has what they need to do, and folks, when it’s women, they say, ‘You know, they’re fighting,’ ” Goldberg said. “If we were fighting, you’d actually know it. Okay?”
Goldberg, who first signed on to be a moderator for the ABC talk show in 2007, described the co-hosts as “old broads” who don’t cower at a disagreement.
“We’re not like, ‘Stop it, you’re so mean to me.’ We will slap you into next week,” she joked. “So if we were truly fighting, there would be issues.”
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Admitting that debates on the show sometimes get “heated,” Goldberg said it’s all part of the job, and she doesn’t let the televised discussions, tense as they may become, sour her when the cameras are off.
“You know, it is living with other people who are not you; they think differently, they want to say different stuff,” she said. “I figure that’s okay — they’re trying to do their gig too, because after all, this is our day job, where they’re paying us for our opinions, so that’s what we do.”
On many episodes, Goldberg finds herself acting as the mediator between her arguing costars.
In October, the actress — who is currently filming a television adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Stand — intervened when Behar and McCain began shouting over each other. Goldberg interrupted, insisting everyone “just take a breath.”
“Everybody has something to say at the table, we really do want to hear from everybody, but we’re starting to [talk over each other],” she said on the episode.
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She added: “It is The View. You know what, let me tell you something about The View: This show has always had the ability to have different points of view, which we respect around the table. And when we talk to each other, we also exhibit respect. So when I’m saying to you, ‘Hold up, because we’re not hearing each other,’ I’m not trying to cut you off — I’m trying to get you heard.”
A source previously told PEOPLE that despite differences in political views, the co-hosts actually do get along between takes.
“The truth is, Meghan and Joy like each other and get along more often than not — they just don’t agree on their politics,” the industry source said at the time. “But when [Goldberg] isn’t there, things get a little off the rails.”
The source added: “They all respect her and she keeps things on track.”
