Outrage erupted both in studio and online after The View’s longtime co host Whoopi Goldberg made a jaw dropping comparison during a heated exchange with co host Alyssa Farah Griffin, claiming that life for Black women in America is “just as bad” as it is for women living under the oppressive regime in Iran.

The segment, which started as a discussion on global women’s rights, took a sharp and controversial turn when Whoopi interrupted the conversation, saying: “Let’s stop pretending like women here especially Black women have it so much better. In some ways, it’s just as bad as Iran. Different chains, same system.”

Tension On Set

A visibly stunned Alyssa Farah Griffin immediately pushed back: “Whoopi, that’s a dangerous comparison. Women in Iran are being imprisoned and executed for not wearing a headscarf. That’s not the same as the United States and certainly not the same for Black women here.”

But Whoopi didn’t back down. She doubled down, pointing to what she described as “systemic, generational oppression” of Black women in the U.S., citing maternal mortality rates, police violence, economic inequality, and lack of representation.

“You think freedom is real just because you can vote?” Whoopi asked. “If the system ignores your pain, silences your voice, and leaves your daughters vulnerable, how free are you really?”

Immediate Backlash

The comments drew swift backlash from across the political spectrum.

Conservatives slammed Goldberg for what they called a “grotesque false equivalence” and “insulting minimization” of women’s suffering under the Iranian regime. Prominent activist Masih Alinejad posted:

“Whoopi, please come walk in an Iranian woman’s shoes for a day before making such reckless comparisons. We are being killed for demanding basic rights. That is not the same.”

Meanwhile, many progressives and Black women voiced mixed reactions some defending Whoopi’s emotional point about “invisible suffering”, while others accused her of weaponizing trauma and ignoring real geopolitical atrocities.

ABC Silent For Now

As of now, ABC has not issued an official statement, but sources inside The View say producers were “blindsided” by the direction the conversation took.

Calls for Goldberg to apologize or even step down are gaining momentum on social media under hashtags like #WhoopiWentTooFar and #NotIranWhoopi.

A Pattern?

This is not the first time Goldberg has drawn fire for controversial remarks. Just last year, she was suspended from The View for comments about the Holocaust that were widely condemned.

Critics are now questioning whether The View can remain a balanced platform or whether Whoopi’s presence has become too polarizing for daytime television.

Is Whoopi raising a vital point about systemic injustice? Or did she go too far in making an extreme and inappropriate comparison? America is divided — and the debate isn’t ending anytime soon.