The View host Whoopi Goldberg was suspended on Tuesday night for two weeks following her controversial remarks about the Holocaust.
Goldberg reportedly made the statements during Monday’s episode, claiming the European genocide was “not about race” but rather “man’s inhumanity to man.”
However, ABC president, Kim Godwin, denounced the Hollywood legend’s comments, calling them “wrong and hurtful,” CNN reported.
“While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments,” Godwin said. “The entire ABC News organization stands in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues, friends, family and communities.”
In an internal email obtained by CNN, Godwin informed her staff that disciplinary actions are “never easy” and that she appreciated Goldberg’s apology.
“But words matter, and we must be cognizant of the impact our words have,” Godwin explained to her staffers her decision to suspend the comedian for her actions.
On Monday night, the actress appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, where she attempted to explain the premise of her remarks. But what she said on the show worsened the situation.
As the criticism continued to grow, Goldberg issued an apology later that night and understood why they were unsettling to others.
“I’m sorry for the hurt I have caused,” Goldberg said in her written statement.
During Tuesday’s episode of The View, Goldberg offered another apology in light of her comments that went viral 24-hours prior.
“I said something that I feel a responsibility for not leaving unexamined because my words upset so many people, which was never my intention,” Goldberg said. “I understand why now, and for that, I am deeply, deeply grateful because the information I got was really helpful, and it helped me understand some different things.”
“I said the Holocaust wasn’t about race and was instead about man’s inhumanity to man,” Goldberg added. “But it is indeed about race because Hitler and the Nazis considered Jews to be an inferior race.”
She continued, “Now, words matter and mine are no exception. I regret my comments, as I said, and I stand corrected. I also stand with the Jewish people as they know, and y’all know because I’ve always done that.”
Though many have condemned the “Sister Act” star for her comments, others have come to her defense, including co-host Ana Navarro. The political commentator told CNN that Goldberg’s colleagues “know what’s in her heart” and that she’s “not an anti-Semite.”
“When you have five women discussing complex topics, in five-minute segments on unscripted, live TV, sometimes things come out the wrong way,” Navarro said. “We are human and make mistakes. The difference between us and others is we acknowledge it and try to correct it. Whoopi clarified and apologized without caveats.”
