Whoopi Goldberg recently used her platform on The View to debunk false claims related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case.
Goldberg felt compelled to issue this PSA amid the release of court documents related to the Epstein sex abuse case. These highly-anticipated records contained the names of over 170 of Epstein’s accusers, associates, and other high-profile figures. In the lead-up to their release, several social media accounts published bogus “Epstein lists” that Goldberg said falsely included her name.
The EGOT winner addressed the misinformation with her fellow co-hosts during the Jan. 4 episode. “I was on a fake list, and I’m on it…They said I was on the island, and I’m like, ‘I don’t go anywhere!'” she said, referencing Little St. James, the private island where Epstein allegedly abused many victims.
According to Business Insider, the documents Goldberg referenced came from a lawsuit filed against Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and madame, Ghislaine Maxwell, by
survivor Virginia Giuffre, which contained a wide range of prominent figures like Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and various Hollywood celebrities allegedly involved in the sex trafficking scandal.The Color Purple actress addressed the accusations about her being on Epstein’s “Pedophile Island” along with several other false claims about her that have circulated online. “I don’t know what I’ve done to anybody, but apparently, there are a lot of these kinds of sites that are…satire sites,” she explained. “But people don’t realize that they can be harmful.”
She also denied other prevalent rumors, stating plainly into the camera: “I never got kicked out of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant…I didn’t get kicked off Bill Maher’s show. I didn’t get into a fight with Oprah backstage here at The View…It just goes—it’s insane.”
Goldberg underscored the need for caution around sharing satirical content online and warned, “Once someone is cleared of your insanity, they’re going to call their lawyer on you.” She added that she has “nothing to hide” and doesn’t care what people think when it comes to her own life.
RELATED CONTENT: Pornhub ‘Deeply Regrets’ Profiting From Sex Trafficking, Will Pay $1.8M Toward Federal Charges