Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of "The View," has been suspended from the daytime program for two weeks over her controversial comments from the day before in which she claimed that the Holocaust was not about race, ABC News announced Tuesday evening.
"Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments," ABC News president Kim Godwin said in a statement. "While Whoopi has apologized, I've asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments. The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends and communities."
Goldberg's suspension came after she said during Monday's installment of "The View" that the Holocaust "isn't about race" when discussing a Tennessee school board's ban of "Maus," a graphic novel about the experiences of a Holocaust survivor.
When pressed by fellow co-host Joy Behar on what the Holocaust is about, Goldberg replied, "It's about man's inhumanity to man, that's what it's about."
Guest co-host Ana Navarro then chimed in, saying, "But it's about white supremacy. It's about going after Jews and Gypsies and Romas."
"But these are two white groups of people," Goldberg exclaimed.
Sparks fly as The View panel confronts Whoopi after she says "the Holocaust isn't about race. No. It's not about race."
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 31, 2022
"Well, the considered Jews a different race," Joy Behar says.
"But it's about white supremacy. It's about going after Jews and Gypsies," Ana Navarro adds. pic.twitter.com/GZwZSi2qXi
Goldberg later apologized for her remarks, saying in a statement Monday night that she is "sorry for the hurt I have caused."
"On today's show, I said the Holocaust ‘is not about race, but about man’s inhumanity to man.' I should have said it is about both," Goldberg wrote in a statement. "As Jonathan Greenblatt from the Anti-Defamation League shared, 'The Holocaust was about the Nazi's systematic annihilation of the Jewish people - who they deemed to be an inferior race.' I stand corrected. The Jewish people around the world have always had my support and that will never [waver]. I'm sorry for the hurt I have caused."
She also tried to explain her comments during a Monday night appearance on "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert.
"It upset a lot of people which was never, ever, ever, ever my intention… I thought we were having a discussion. I think of race as being something that I can see … You couldn't tell who was Jewish. They had to delve deeply to figure it out… My point is, they had to do the work," Goldberg said, adding that she does not want to "fake apologize" and that she is "very upset that people misunderstood what I was saying."
And during Tuesday's episode of "The View," Goldberg said she "regrets" her earlier comments. The broadcast also included an appearance by Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to inform the 66-year-old pundit about the Holocaust.
Goldberg's comments this week are just her latest controversial remarks since joining "The View" in 2007.
She said in 2009 that film director Roman Polanksi, who in 1977 pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor, was not guilty of "rape-rape." Goldberg later clarified her comments.
Goldberg also initially defended comedian Bill Cosby against sexual assault allegations before later reversing her position amid a slew of backlash.