Whoopi Goldberg stirred controversy on Thursday morning’s episode of The View after making a surprising confession that left even her co-hosts visibly uneasy.
While defending Democrat Katie Porter, Goldberg admitted that she has yelled at people who work for her.
The conversation began as the panel discussed whether Porter should continue her campaign for governor of California despite facing backlash for mistreating staff members.
The discussion took a turn when Goldberg shared that she too has yelled at her employees, effectively aligning herself with Porter’s behavior.
After a clip played of Porter addressing concerns about her temperament during a gubernatorial debate, Goldberg said, “Maybe she does yell at people. I yell at people, you yell at people, you yell at people, and sometimes it’s not nice.”
Her remark immediately drew uncomfortable reactions from her co-hosts.
California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter (D) REFUSED to say whether more videos exist of her chewing out staffers, after viral clips showed her lashing out at a journalist and ripping into an employee.
Reporter: “Can voters be confident that — that there won’t be another… pic.twitter.com/JgoHDpNdd3 [1]
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) October 15, 2025 [2]
Joy Behar, who often agrees with Goldberg on political matters, appeared uneasy following the comment.
Alyssa Farah Griffin then stepped in, suggesting that how someone treats their staff reflects who they truly are. “I think how somebody treats staff under them says so much about their character,” Griffin said.
“We saw the video. She berated a staffer in a way I’ve, never in any job in politics, been talked to.”
While Griffin emphasized that women can face harsher scrutiny in politics, she did not excuse Porter’s outbursts. Instead, her response indirectly challenged Goldberg’s defense.
Still, Goldberg doubled down. She explained that anyone can get caught in the heat of a moment, particularly in a world where cameras capture everything.
“You get caught in the moment and, you know, everybody’s got a camera,” she said. “I’m sorry, I have yelled at people who work for me, I have yelled at people.”
Whoopi Goldberg defends Katie Porter snapping and yelling at her staff by saying she does it too: "Maybe she does yell at people. I yell at people. You yell at people." pic.twitter.com/RQXaWbGJRf [3]
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 7, 2026 [4]
Griffin countered that she had never seen Goldberg treat anyone that way, prompting Goldberg to clarify that she keeps such outbursts private.
“The reason you don’t see it is because I’m very careful when I yell at people,” she said. She added that people have frustrated her in the past, admitting, “I used to get really angry with people” who crossed her or were “messing” with her.
Goldberg concluded her defense by saying she does not hold grudges. “I’m not mad at anybody who steps in poo. I’m not,” she added. Yet her remarks seemed to confirm what many viewers interpreted as an admission of verbally attacking staff.
KATIE PORTER FACES QUESTIONS ON HER TEMPERAMENT: The former congresswoman, who's now running for California governor, has been criticized over her past outbursts aimed at staff members — 'The View' co-hosts weigh in after she defended herself at a recent debate. pic.twitter.com/DYP11yF1i6 [5]
— The View (@TheView) May 7, 2026 [6]
As the segment continued, Goldberg insisted that being human means making mistakes.
“All I know is, as a human being, I’m subject to the same things she’s subject to. I’m subject to screwing up and messing up and being not the person people want me to be,” she said. She then argued that if a person is capable of doing a job well, they should still be supported.
Goldberg ended her comments with a quip, saying, “Anyway, we live in New York, so what do we care?”
That attempt at humor failed to soften the criticism already building online after the broadcast.
The discussion drew comparisons to Ellen DeGeneres, another celebrity whose image crumbled after accusations of verbal abuse and a toxic workplace.
The DeGeneres controversy ended with the cancellation of her talk show, and she later acknowledged that she was “kicked out of show business.”
Ellen DeGeneres: I got kicked out of showbusiness
Ellen DeGeneres has made her return to the spotlight two years after the cancellation of her talk show.
She opened the first night of Ellen's Last Stand… Up Tour, her new comedy show which is also set to appear on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/2JzBdW05WT [7]
— OriginalCanaanites (@CJaajaa) April 26, 2024 [8]
Observers suggested that Goldberg’s comments could come back to haunt her if more stories about her behavior emerge.
The segment’s tone, intended to defend Porter, instead painted Goldberg as indifferent to the seriousness of mistreating staff.
Whether or not Goldberg faces a similar backlash remains to be seen. Yet by her own words, she inadvertently showed that she is aware of her temper and unapologetically admits to expressing it behind closed doors.
For now, Goldberg’s on-air confession left audiences debating not only Porter’s temperament but also Goldberg’s own.
Her insistence on excusing such behavior may have raised more questions than it answered about the standards she applies to herself and others.