Former Sen. Al Franken defended Whoopi Goldberg over controversial Holocaust remarks that got the co-host of The View suspended for two weeks, pointing to her name as proof that she isn’t antisemitic.
“I know Whoopi,” Franken, who is Jewish, said during a CNN appearance Wednesday. “She’s not antisemitic.” He added, “She chose Goldberg for her last name for a stage name.”
Franken also said Goldberg’s apology appeared “sincere” to him.
Born Caryn Elaine Johnson, the comedian and actress who has appeared in movies such as Sister Act and television shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, changed her name to Whoopi Goldberg, explaining in interviews that her first name is derived from a whoopee cushion and that Goldberg is part of her “heritage,” according to the Jewish Chronicle.
Former Sen. Al Franken cites Whoopi Golberg choosing “Goldberg for her last name for a stage name” as proof she is not anti-Semitic. pic.twitter.com/Cvf9MRB6K0
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Goldberg, 66, stirred controversy Monday on The View when she said the Holocaust was “not about race but about man’s inhumanity to man.”
Goldberg apologized, saying in a statement, “I should have said it is about both,” but by Tuesday evening, she was suspended for two weeks.
“Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments,” Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, 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, family, and communities.”
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Franken himself is no stranger to controversy.
The comedian-turned-senator representing Minnesota resigned from his seat in 2018 after facing allegations of sexual misconduct and mounting pressure from his Democratic colleagues to step down.
