Whoopi Goldberg ignited a firestorm online when she compared the Black American experience to life in Iran. This comparison emerged during a discussion with co-hosts regarding the Israel-Iran conflict.
A heated debate erupted between Goldberg and co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin as the panel discussed the appropriate course of action the US should take regarding the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Let’s just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings,” Griffin said on the show, which aired June 18.. “They don’t adhere to basic human rights or international law.”
Goldberg responded by noting that Black Americans are victims of similar injustices.
“We have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car. Listen, I’m sorry. They used to just keep hanging black people.”
Griffin argued that Iranian women face extreme punishment for showing their arms, legs, or hair.
“It is not even the same. I couldn’t step foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now,” the former White House Press Secretary stated.
The Sister Act star stood her ground on her opinion, stating that violence against marginalized groups should be viewed equally.
“That’s why I’m saying that it is the same,” she insisted. “Murdering someone for their difference is not good, whoever does it. It’s not good.”
When Griffin reiterated that life in the United States cannot be compared to Iran’s current laws, Goldberg clapped back.
“Not if you’re Black,” referring to the systemic racism, microaggressions, and police brutality that Black Americans often experience.
The actress said that while she believes America is the “greatest country in the world,” she emphasized that being Black in America is not the same as being of other races living in the U.S. Fans took to social media to condemn the talk show host for her comments.
Despite facing backlash on social media for her comments, several fans stepped in to defend the Ghost star, asserting that non-Black people lack the capacity to understand what it’s like to be Black in America.
Women in Iran face brutal violence… beatings, rape, and death for simply showing their hair.
Yet, Whoopi Goldberg, a multimillionaire celebrity in America, compares her life to theirs.
Life in the United States as a woman is not the same as it is in Iran.
Can we all agree? pic.twitter.com/dAzJjuv0MX
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) June 18, 2025
“The fact that they can empathize with anything but a black person speaks volumes,” an Instagrammer commented under the Neigbhoord Talk’s post showing a clip of the heated debate.
“They are committed to misunderstanding us, ” another commenter stated.
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