Whoopi Goldberg stunned viewers by issuing an on-air apology to Elon Musk after accusing the billionaire of being “okay with apartheid” during a fiery segment on The View — all while ABC is locked in a growing battle with the Trump administration over free speech and political bias claims.
The dramatic moment unfolded during Thursday’s episode of the daytime talk show as the panel discussed outrage from conservatives over rumored casting choices in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie The Odyssey.
Goldberg, 70, kicked off the conversation by taking a swipe at Musk, saying: “Elon Musk, you know, the man from South Africa who was okay with apartheid, is still railing against Lupita Nyong’o playing the fabled, most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Troy.”
The Oscar winner also mocked conservative media figures for allegedly “losing it” over online rumors claiming actor Elliot Page could be cast as Achilles — despite no official casting announcements being made.
But after clips of conservative commentators aired, Goldberg suddenly reversed course and walked back her remarks about Musk.
“Let me just say this first because I know it will have upset people,” she told the audience. “I don’t know that he was an apartheid apologist. I don’t know anything about him, except that I’m not a fan, so I take it back.”
The awkward backpedal instantly caught attention online.
Co-host Joy Behar jumped in and pointed out Musk was born in South Africa in 1971 during the apartheid era, but Goldberg insisted she wasn’t making any factual claim about his personal beliefs.
“I’m not saying he was there. I don’t know that he was there. I wasn’t there,” Goldberg said. “So I’m saying, ‘OK.’”
Meanwhile, co-host Sunny Hostin defended the idea of diverse casting in Greek mythology adaptations, arguing that ancient Greek culture had historical influences tied to North Africa and Egypt.
Hostin referenced the controversial book Black Athena, which argues that classical Greek civilization borrowed heavily from African and Near Eastern cultures.
“I actually taught Greek mythology to eighth graders,” Hostin said. “People that are saying that Helen of Troy could not possibly be played by a Black woman don’t know.”
The tense exchange comes as ABC faces mounting pressure from Trump allies and federal regulators.
Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is reportedly reviewing ABC’s broadcast license and revisiting whether The View improperly benefits from exemptions to “equal time” political broadcasting rules.
The FCC previously ruled in 2002 that The View qualified as a “bona fide news interview program,” meaning it was exempt from strict equal-time requirements.
But Carr’s renewed scrutiny has sparked outrage at ABC, which accused the government of targeting the network because of criticism aimed at President Donald Trump.
In a blistering response, ABC warned the investigation could “chill critical protected speech” and create the appearance of “viewpoint discrimination and retaliatory targeting.”
The network added: “Some may dislike certain — or even most — of the viewpoints expressed on The View or similar shows. Such dislike, however, cannot justify using regulatory processes to restrict those views.”
Now the controversy surrounding Goldberg’s comments, Musk, and The View is exploding online — adding even more fuel to the already heated culture war battle surrounding the daytime talk show.
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Excuse me. Helen of Troy is history but Whoopie and others try to portray the race has changed and now Liputa is Helen of Troy. What was seems to be changed and what is was not what it was. Whoopie can’t change history and even if Lupita does portray Helen of Troy, still can’t change the truth.