Weeks after reports surfaced that Whoopi Goldberg was named in the Jeffrey Epstein files — including a request to use the disgraced financier’s private jet — the longtime co-host of The View finally addressed the controversy on air.
But rather than offer clarity, critics say Goldberg delivered deflection.
During a recent episode, Goldberg acknowledged that her name appeared in the files “in the name of transparency.” She read aloud what she described as a 2013 request seeking transportation to a charity event in Monaco for The White Feather Foundation, founded by Julian Lennon. According to Goldberg, the request — sent to Epstein’s camp — asked whether he would be willing to provide his Gulfstream jet for the trip. She emphasized that the offer was declined and insisted she never flew on Epstein’s plane.
“It looks like they said ‘no thanks,’” co-host Sunny Hostin quickly interjected, appearing eager to close the matter.
Yet key questions remain unanswered.
The request was reportedly made in May 2013 — five years after Jeffrey Epstein had already been convicted of sex crimes involving a minor. That timeline alone has raised eyebrows. Why, critics ask, would anyone in Hollywood — particularly someone with Goldberg’s platform — seek assistance from a man whose criminal past was already public knowledge?
Complicating matters further, the White Feather Foundation’s own website previously stated that Goldberg “flew in from the United States” to host the event as master of ceremonies. On air, however, Goldberg maintained she did not board Epstein’s aircraft and downplayed the notion that she flew at all, joking about her aversion to air travel.
The segment quickly shifted tone, with co-host Joy Behar attempting to redirect the focus toward President Donald Trump, suggesting his name appears more frequently in Epstein-related materials. Goldberg pushed back slightly, saying she could only speak for herself and lamenting that “people actually believe” she had a relationship with Epstein.
But critics argue that’s precisely the point: transparency requires more than reading a snippet of a document on daytime television. If the goal was openness, why wait until external reporting brought the issue to light? And why avoid addressing why Epstein — of all possible private jet owners — was approached in the first place?
Goldberg insisted she was neither Epstein’s friend nor associate, brushing aside speculation with humor. Co-host Sara Haines quipped that Goldberg was “too old” to have been of interest to Epstein, drawing laughter from the panel.
Yet outside the studio audience, the mood is less amused.
Americans across the political spectrum have demanded full accountability for those who orbited Epstein’s world — whether in politics, finance, or entertainment. For years, media figures pressed relentlessly for transparency regarding others. Now, when names from their own circles emerge, viewers are noticing a different tone: one of minimization and redirection.
Goldberg may consider the matter settled. But for many Americans who believe the Epstein scandal exposed a troubling culture of elite access and protection, the unanswered questions still linger.
