Whoopi Goldberg, who once said, “If you can’t handle a fart, you can’t handle me,” would like everyone to please stop accusing her of on-air flatulence.
“There was never an issue,” the co-host of “The View” insisted at the start of Wednesday’s show.
Goldberg is addressing the recent fodder that permeated social media and headlines after co-host Sunny Hostin appeared on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live!” late last month. Hostin let it slip on the chat show that Goldberg was the host who passes gas the most on set. Goldberg wasn’t pleased.
Hostin attempted to clear the air during Cohen’s SiriusXM show on Monday, revealing that Goldberg “didn’t like” all the attention.
Hostin appeared to be referencing a January episode of “The View” in which Goldberg called co-host Sara Haines’ attention to some water that had spilled on the table during a chat about former VP Mike Pence and classified documents. Then Goldberg reached over to help Haines clean it up. At that moment, Haines scooted over in her chair, which made a toot noise. A few giggles ensued.
“So Whoopi, in an effort to kind of cover that up — we have coasters now — was like, ‘Sorry y’all. That was me,’ and I just took her at her word,” Hostin told Cohen. “So Whoopi said, ‘Why did you tell everybody I fart all the time?’ And I was like, ‘Because you joke about farting all the time and I’m across from the table.’ I can’t smell it. I don’t know … whoever smelt it dealt it, so I just had no idea. She said, ‘Thanks a lot,’ but I mean, Whoopi and I are very close, so she was OK. I didn’t realize it would have so much pickup.”
While Hostin did make a valiant attempt to close the case, there are YouTube videos spanning years that feature clips of Goldberg appearing to pass gas on air. In the clips, suspicious fart-like noises are picked up on the mic, Goldberg can be seen hopping up in her seat, and then she usually says, “Excuse me!” In one clip, former host Rosie O’Donnell even waves papers to clear the air around where Goldberg was sitting.
On Wednesday’s episode of “The View,” Goldberg attempted to put the whole thing behind her by addressing Hostin and Cohen when the show began.
“Before we get started, I want to put something to bed with the two of you,” she said. “I’m just gonna say it, there was never an issue. A sound was made on the table, and that’s what it was. We don’t need to bring it up ever again, anywhere. OK? We’re good?”