Whoopi Goldberg Speaks Out On ABC News Exec Accused Of Racism
On Monday (June 15), Whoopi Goldberg responded to reports that ABC News executive Barbara Fedida made racist comments about journalist Robin Roberts and The View co-host Sunny Hostin.
That said, she is backing an independent investigation into Fedida’s conduct at the network.
During a conversation on The View, Hostin reacted to the alleged comments, which were detailed in the Huffington Post, made about her, “It was a tough weekend for me and I was really disappointed and saddened and hurt when I learned about the racist comments that were made, allegedly, about me, my colleagues and my dear friends,” Hostin said at the top of the daytime show.
She continued, “Because if true, to reference Robin Roberts — who is one of the most respected and beloved journalists in our country — as ‘picking cotton'; to reference me — someone who’s been very open about having grown up in publicly housing — as being ‘low rent'; to reference Kendis Gibson — who was my office mate at ABC and now is an MSNBC anchor — to say that he isn’t worth paying as much as ABC would pay for toilet paper; the fact that Mara Schiavocampo, who is a friend an a former colleague at ABC, the fact that she has an NDA in place and can’t talk about her experiences at ABC tells me that systemic racism touches everything and everyone in our society.”
Goldberg added, “I know Barbara Fedida and I don’t think she’s a racist. Everything I know about her doesn’t say that she has this in her.”
She continued: “But I will say that one of the things that everyone should always make sure we say — and I say it all the time — is let’s find out. Let’s find out. If it’s true, she’s gone. If it’s not, let’s find out what’s going on. An independent investigation is what this needs. The days of systemic racism are ending. Those walls are coming down and we’re pulling them down.”
Barbara Fedida has been placed on administrative leave following reports of her comments as the internal investigation ensues.
Watch Goldberg and Hostin’s thoughts on The View below.
