On Thursday’s episode of The View, Whoopi Goldberg shocked viewers by issuing a rare public retraction and apology to Elon Musk, following comments she immediately regretted about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
The moment came during a lively “Hot Topic” discussion on the backlash to Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, The Odyssey, which stars Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as Achilles. Goldberg had remarked, “Elon Musk, you know, the man from South Africa who was OK with apartheid, is still railing against Lupita Nyong’o playing the fabled, most beautiful woman in the world…” before rolling a reel of conservative commentators criticizing the casting choices.
Almost instantly, Goldberg paused and walked back her claim, admitting, “I don’t know that he was an apartheid apologist. I don’t know anything about him, except that I’m not a fan, so I take it back.” The discussion continued with panelists debating historical context, race, and representation in Hollywood, with Sunny Hostin noting the African and Near-Eastern influences in Greek mythology and Alyssa Farah Griffin pointing out Musk’s busy schedule running multiple companies.
Closing the segment, Goldberg reiterated her apology: “Once again, I apologize for insinuating something that I don’t have any facts to back it up.” Her rare on-air retraction sparked social media chatter, highlighting the unusual moment of accountability on live television.
The segment ultimately shifted focus to broader questions of representation and public reactions to creative casting choices, leaving viewers with plenty to discuss long after the cameras stopped rolling.
