Whoopi Goldberg clashes with ‘View' co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin after claiming life in US is as bad as Iran
Whoopi Goldberg is facing backlash after some pointed remarks about the US and Iran this week.
On Wednesday morning, during the latest episode of 'The View,' Goldberg appeared to claim that life in the US is just as bad as it is in Iran during a heated clash with her co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin.
The argument began as the panel, which also included co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines, debated the correct course of action the US should take as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to escalate in the Middle East.
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9 Whoopi Goldberg is facing backlash after some pointed remarks about the US and Iran.
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9 Goldberg appeared to claim that life in the US is just as bad as life in Iran during a clash with her co-host, Alyssa Farah Griffin, on 'The View' Wednesday morning.
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'Let's just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings,' Griffin, 36, said. 'They don't adhere to basic human rights or international law.'
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It was then that Goldberg, 69, pushed back and suggested that the US was no better than Iran when it came to the country's treatment of 'gay folks' and 'Black people.'
'Let's not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car,' she charged, adding that the US 'used to just keep hanging Black people.'
9 The comedian suggested that the US was no better than Iran when it came to the country's treatment of 'gay folks' and 'Black people.'
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9 'Let's just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings,' Griffin said. 'They don't adhere to basic human rights or international law.'
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Griffin quickly fired back and insisted that the modern-day US is 'nothing like' Iran.
'The year 2025 in the United States is nothing like if I stepped foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now,' she argued, referencing Iran's capital.
'Not if you're Black,' Goldberg retorted after Griffin repeated her point that it's different to live in America in 2025 versus Iran.
'Uh, guys, don't go to Tehran,' Griffin responded. 'Do not. No one at this table can go to Tehran.'
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9 Goldberg and Griffin's the 'View' co-hosts tried to cut in amid the pair's heated argument.
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9 'The year 2025 in the United States is nothing like if I stepped foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now,' Griffin insisted.
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Although Goldberg conceded that the US 'is the greatest country in the world,' she also emphasized that there are still issues 'Black people' face every day.
'But every day, we are worried,' the comedian said. 'Do we have to be worried about our kids? Are their kids going to get shot because they're running through somebody's neighborhood?'
'They are not big deals,' she added, 'and I don't mean to say they're not big deals to you, because that's not what I meant.'
9 Goldberg conceded that the US 'is the greatest country in the world,' but also emphasized that there are still issues 'Black people' face every day.
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Griffin then agreed that there are 'very real problems' in the US, but there are also 'places much darker' than America.
'Nobody wants to diminish the very real problems we have in this country,' she said shortly before Goldberg cut her off. 'That is no one's intent, but I think it's important we remember there are places much darker than this country, and people who deserve rights…'
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'Listen, not everybody feels that way,' Goldberg interrupted. 'Not everybody feels that way. Listen, I'm sorry, you know, when you think about the fact that we got the vote in 1965…'
'They don't have free and fair elections in Iran!' Griffin then interjected. 'It's not even the same universe!'
9 'They don't have free and fair elections in Iran!' Griffin interjected. 'It's not even the same universe!'
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Although Behar, 82, attempted to cut in and calm both Goldberg and Griffin down, the pair continued their debate.
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Goldberg ultimately ended the argument by announcing that 'The View' had to take a commercial break.
The comedian faced major backlash on social media after the clip of her and Griffin's clash went viral.
'She is delusional,' one person tweeted regarding the 'Sister Act' star's comments, while another critic commented, 'Utter insanity to suggest this.'
9 Goldberg eventually ended the argument by announcing that 'The View' had to take a commercial break.
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'Why does she not leave then? Since it's so awful and horrible here and everywhere else is so much better, then why doesn't she move?' a third person responded on X. 'Because she knows that it's not that bad and she's just lying for money.'
'Says a woman making 8 million a year,' another person tweeted. 'Yeah, right.'
Goldberg and Griffin's war of words on Wednesday came just days after the 'View' co-hosts argued about the presence of ICE agents and the military in California during the Los Angeles protests and riots.
The Post has reached out to Goldberg's rep for comment.
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Whoopi Goldberg sparked backlash after comparing life for Black Americans in the U.S. to living in Iran during a segment on "The View." The award-winning actress's comments have now been condemned by Iranian dissidents, who have deemed the remarks "offensive" and "misguided." Social media has also been in a frenzy over her comments, with many criticizing Whoopi Goldberg for downplaying Iran's human rights abuses. Iranian dissidents are criticizing Goldberg for what they describe as an "offensive" comparison between the experience of Black Americans and life under Iran's theocratic regime. Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a prominent plastic surgeon and Iranian-American human rights advocate, was among the first to speak out. In a statement to Fox News Digital, she condemned the actress's comments, saying: "Whoopi Goldberg's comparison between being black in America and living under Iran's authoritarian regime is deeply misguided and dismisses the brutal realities faced by millions of Iranians." Nazarian, whose family fled Iran in 1985 after her father was targeted by the regime for execution, said Goldberg's comments were not just inaccurate, they were insulting. She noted, "While racism is a serious and ongoing challenge in the US, comparing this to life under a totalitarian theocracy like Iran is not only inaccurate — it's offensive to those who suffer daily under that regime." Nazarian added, "In Iran, the government controls nearly every aspect of life. People can be imprisoned, tortured, raped or even executed for peaceful protests, for criticizing the regime, or simply expressing their opinions online." Echoing Nazarian's outrage, Iranian-American journalist and foreign policy expert Lisa Daftari further lambasted Goldberg for making such comments while being a "woman of color." Daftari also claimed that Goldberg's ability to appear on "The View" dressed however she likes is proof that life in the U.S. for Black Americans is not the same as that of women in Iran. The journalist said: "It's astonishing that Whoopi Goldberg would even suggest that life for black Americans is somehow equivalent to living under the rule of the ayatollah in Iran." Daftari added, "The very fact that she, as a woman — and a woman of color — has a platform where she can speak freely, express dissenting views, and appear uncovered on national television is proof of the immense freedoms she enjoys." The controversy unfolded on "The View" during a tense exchange between Goldberg and co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin. Griffin was highlighting Iran's well-documented human rights abuses, such as the execution of LGBTQ+ individuals and the arrests of women for violating strict dress codes. Goldberg interrupted, warning against singling out Iran without acknowledging America's past. "Let's not do that," she said, pointing to the U.S.'s history of racial violence. "Because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car. Listen, I'm sorry, they used to just keep hanging black people." Griffin hit back at Goldberg, noting the stark difference between current conditions in the U.S. and the reality in Iran: "In the year 2025 in the United States, it's nothing like if I step foot wearing this outfit into Iran right now." Goldberg stood firm: "It is the same," she replied. When Griffin attempted to highlight the stark contrast between the freedoms in today's America and the harsh realities of life under Iran's theocratic rule, Goldberg pushed back, saying, "Not if you're Black." As tensions flared, Joy Behar stepped in to defuse the tension, urging Griffin to try and view the conversation through the lens of a Black American. "Just try to understand from their point of view, this country does not do them well," Behar said. Griffin responded respectfully, saying she "completely" acknowledged that experience, but maintained her belief that the conditions in Iran are "significantly worse" than those in the U.S. Since the episode aired, social media users have flooded X (formerly Twitter) with criticism over Goldberg's remarks. Many expressed outrage at what they see as a false equivalence between racial injustice in the U.S. and the brutality of Iran's theocratic regime. Several also took the opportunity to call for the actress to be "removed" from her role as co-host on "The View." One user wrote, "Whoopi Goldberg has lost her mind. Women are raped, beaten and killed in Iran for showing their hair and not wearing hijab. Whoopi claims that is how blacks are treated in the U.S. 'The View' should be taken off the air, ABC should lose their license." Another posted: "What the f-ck did I just hear? Whoopi Goldberg on 'The View' (of all shows) just said that it's no different living in Iran than the U.S. The Islamic Republic has arrested over 30,642 women since 2022 for not wearing hijabs. They've killed, raped, and tortured many of them. Her co-host, who is of Iranian heritage, tried to explain the hardship the Iranian people go through living under the Iranian regime. Whoopi then shouts her down like she knows best. Disgusting." A third person bluntly stated, "Whoopi Goldberg needs to be FIRED! @ABCNetwork She is a racist and [disseminates] lies." A fourth X commenter added: "Did Whoopi Goldberg say on 'The View' that being Black in America today is worse than living in Iran? Whoopi, a wealthy woman living the American dream, is debating which mansion staircase to descend. She and her co-hosts are disconnected from everyday struggles. They should admit they're too rich and removed to grasp regular people's lives."
