Whoopi Goldberg went off on “The View” Wednesday morning in response to the tons of criticism she’s received since stating her opinion that Mel Gibson is not a racist.
The actor’s telephone conversations – laced with comments offensive to blacks, women, and in Wednesday’s released rant, Latinos – were secretly recorded by his ex-girlfriend and have been steadily revealed to the public by Radar Online.
Goldberg said on Monday’s show: “I know Mel, and I know he’s not a racist. I have had a long friendship with Mel. You can say he’s being a bonehead, but I can’t sit and say that he’s a racist having spent time with him in my house with my kids. I don’t like what he’s done, make no mistake.”
Since those words left Goldberg’s mouth, all hell has broken loose, she said Wednesday.
“There has been a lot of hassle … in the media recently about moi because I had the audacity to say that I had some personal time with Mel that goes over years and years and said that I did not think of him as a racist,” Goldberg started off.
“If you had actually watched the show, you would have heard us say, and you would have heard me specifically say, ‘I don’t condone this. I don’t think this is right, I don’t think this is smart. But here’s the piece of information that I have. My experience tells me that this is not a racist,’” she continued.
“Being a black woman, you’d think you would give me a little bit of leeway to have some feelings if I was around a racist.”
Goldberg saved her harshest reaction for viewers who ended up harassing her receptionist because they couldn’t reach the actress herself.
“People called my office and went off on the young lady that works there. You’re going to call because you think that I’m doing something wrong And you do the same thing to this young lady – that you don’t even know – that Mel Gibson supposedly did? Who are you?” she says, making a spitting noise. “You can kiss my behind.”
