As the final batch of the controversial Epstein files, consisting of over three million pages, was released last month, several celebrity names surfaced, including an unexpected mention of Whoopi Goldberg.
On Tuesday, February 17, the 70-year-old actress and comedian broke her silence while hosting an episode of The View, addressing the backlash she’s faced online.
Highlights
- Whoopi Goldberg’s name appeared multiple times in the infamous Epstein files, sparking instant backlash and wild speculation online.
- The actress broke her silence on-air, explaining why her name was included, but her response only fueled more controversy, with many labeling her a “hypocrite.”
- A resurfaced 2013 charity email reignited scrutiny, with netizens split over whether Goldberg was personally acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein.
While Goldberg attempted to provide an explanation for why her name appeared in the infamous files, many netizens remained skeptical and continued to cast suspicion over her alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
“If Whoopi was really being transparent, she would've come clean BEFORE Trump released the Epstein files,” one critic wrote.
The final batch of the infamous Epstein files sparked wild speculation and intense backlash after Whoopi Goldberg’s name surfaced in the documents
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The final batch of the controversial Epstein files was released on January 30 by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The release of these documents was driven by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated a large-scale public disclosure of federal records related to convicted offender and predator Jeffrey Epstein.
In the newly released files, internet sleuths noticed Whoopi Goldberg’s name appeared multiple times alongside other The View co-hosts, including Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.
The discovery sparked a wave of negative reactions online, with many attacking Whoopi over what they perceived as her association with Epstein.
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One user fumed, “Oh NO NO NO.......she is named, SO, she is guilty… just like all the others!”
A second netizen speculated, “Whoopi Goldberg and Jeffrey Epstein had ties.”
A third added, “This is bigger than Whoopi just being in the files. She had relations with Epstein… Not normal relations.”
“@TheView When is Whoopi going to be fired?” demanded another angry critic.
Image credits: The View
After weeks of silence, and as the controversy blew up online, the Sister Act star clarified on air why her name appeared in the documents.
She discussed the matter with her co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Sara Haines, saying, “In the name of transparency, my name is in the files. Yes!”
Whoopi then read a May 2013 email displayed on a large screen behind her, in which her name was mentioned.
The 70-year-old revealed on yesterday’s episode of The View that she was being brutally “dragged” online by netizens
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She told the audience, “And what does it say? It says, ‘Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco. John Lennon’s charity,’ it should say Julian Lennon’s charity, ‘is paying for it.’”
She explained that Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation had reached out to private plane owners to arrange transportation for her to a charity event.
When Epstein was asked if he would “offer” his private jet, a G2, for her travel, he responded in the email, “No thanks.”
Co-host Joy then added, “So, in other words, anybody could be on this list.”
Image credits: The View
Goldberg emphasized that she never rode on his plane, never went to his island, and was never his “friend” or “girlfriend.”
She continued, agreeing with Joy’s comment, “This is my point, because I’m telling you, when people are trying to turn me into… I wasn’t his girlfriend, I wasn’t his friend."
“I was not only too old, but it was at a time where this is just not…. You used to have to have facts before you said stuff.”
As Goldberg explained her inclusion in the infamous documents, the internet remained suspicious, with many labeling her a “hypocrite”
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Behar interjected, diverting attention to President Donald Trump allegedly being mentioned “on the list 38,000 times.”
Whoopi denied commenting on Trump, but clarified that she was “speaking about me because I’m getting dragged.”
“People actually believe that I was with him. It's like, honey, come on. Every man I've ever been with, you've known about 'em because either The Enquirer wrote about it, people wrote about this stuff.”
"And no, I didn’t get on the plane," she continued. "Because you know what I would have to do to get on the plane?”
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Joy answered, “Fly,” likely referencing Goldberg’s fear of flying.
However, the explanation still didn’t go over well with many viewers. One person commented, “Is she explaining why she doesn’t deserve to be scrutinized? Hypocrite!”
Another wrote, “You have to know someone pretty well to ask to borrow their plane.”
“Others whose names were mentioned in the files say the same thing about themselves. Interesting,” wrote one skeptical netizen, while another added, “Wasn’t there a movie that said deny deny deny. Whoopie is like I’m gonna deny.”
Image credits: Getty/Monica Schipper
“It’s funny how quick they change to ‘just bc named doesn’t mean guilty.’”
Meanwhile, some supporters argued that just being mentioned in the files doesn’t mean Whoopi had personal ties to Epstein.
One supporter argued, “Imagine being mentioned in the list out of incriminating context and being dragged through the mud for it.”
However, defenders argued that being mentioned in the Epstein files does not implicate any wrongdoing on Whoopi’s part
“Not everyone mentioned in the files had anything to do with him,” commented a second.
“There are many names in the file that had nothing to do with Epstein. Including Elvis."
Prior to this latest controversy, in January 2024, rumors were rife that the Ghost star was a frequent visitor to Epstein’s infamous island.
She addressed the speculation during an episode of The View, saying at the time, “Apparently, they said I was on the island. And I don’t go anywhere!”
Image credits: The View
“There’s just been a lot of stuff recently, I don’t know what I’ve done to anybody, but apparently there are a lot of the [tabloid] sites [and] people don’t realize they can be harmful.”
Apart from Goldberg, hundreds of high-profile names from across the globe have appeared in the files, including Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, music icons Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z, and others.
Investigators have stated that many names appear in Epstein’s logs and emails as part of his extensive professional and social networking, and that being mentioned in the files does not constitute evidence of a crime.
“Yeah…I always ask people I’m not close to if I can use their private jet…doesn’t everyone,” one skeptic wrote sarcastically
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