Whoopi Goldberg responded to reports that her name appears in documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, saying the mention does not indicate she did anything wrong.
On Tuesday’s episode of The View (Feb. 17), Goldberg discussed her inclusion in records collected by the Department of Justice related to Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.
“In the name of transparency, my name is in the files. Yes,” Goldberg said on air. She explained that the reference involved a travel request connected to a charity: “And what does it say? It says, ‘Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco … is paying for it.’”
Goldberg clarified that the charity had been reaching out to private plane owners to arrange transportation and that the documents reflected that outreach.
Co-host Sunny Hostin noted that the request appeared to have been declined. Joy Behar then pointed out that, by that logic, “anybody could be on this list.”
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“Anybody,” Goldberg agreed. She added that she was frustrated by speculation that she had personal ties to Epstein. “This is my point, because I’m telling you, when people are trying to turn me into… I wasn’t his girlfriend, I wasn’t his friend,” she said. “You used to have to have facts before you said stuff.”
Goldberg also said she never boarded the plane mentioned in the documents, prompting a joke from Behar referencing Goldberg’s well-known fear of flying.
This is not the first time Goldberg has publicly denied any connection to Epstein. During a January 2024 episode of The View, she pushed back on rumors that she visited his private island, saying she doesn’t travel much and warning that online gossip can be harmful.
The discussion came days after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Congress stating that the DOJ had released all files it was ordered to disclose under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Some Epstein survivors and members of Congress have challenged that claim, citing heavy redactions and reports that certain documents appeared online and were later removed.
“These materials could have been released long ago, but they’re just being released now,” Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin told reporters on Feb. 9. He added that he believed the Justice Department had been “trying to sweep the entire thing under the rug.”
