Whoopi Goldberg explained on Tuesday’s episode of The View why she is named in the Epstein files, while dismissing claims that she was associated with Jeffrey Epstein. The Sister Act actress’ name did appear in the files.
“In the name of transparency, my name is in the files. Yes!” Goldberg said.
She then went on to read the May 2013 email where her name was mentioned, which said that she needed a “plane to get to Monaco” for a charity event.
Epstein denied the plane request, writing in response, “No thanks.”
Goldberg’s co-host Joy Behar then said, “So in other words, anybody can be on this list?”
“This is my point because when I tell you, people are trying to turn me into … I wasn’t his girlfriend, I wasn’t his friend. I was not only too old [for him], but it was at a time where this is just not — you used to have to have facts before you said stuff,” Goldberg replied.
Behar then interjected, stating that Donald Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files “38,000 times.”
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“I can’t speak to him, but I’m speaking about me because I’m getting dragged,” Goldberg replied. “People actually believe that I was with him. It’s like honey, come on. Every man that I’ve ever been with, you’ve known about because either the Enquirer wrote about it, people wrote about this stuff. So, no.”
She added, “I didn’t get on the plane because you know what I would have to do to get on the plane? They’re trying to get me to get on a plane [to go to the charity event].”
Co-host Sara Haine noted that other prominent people, like Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, were named in the documents due to “news articles, third-party emails, contacts.” “Wealthy, famous people often cross in professional and social circles, so that’s not the surprising part,” Haines added.
‘Women did not stand up for other women’
Goldberg has been vocal about the Epstein files, and recently criticized fellow women who were “complicit” in the late convicted sex offender’s crimes. “Not only did they protect each other, but we were complicit in all of this. We are complicit,” she said on The View.
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When Goldberg’s co-hosts questioned her about her stance, she replied, “Women didn’t say, ‘Hey, don’t do that. Don’t stand up for that.’ Women did not stand up for other women. Women saw what was going on and didn’t say, ‘Stop this.’ They didn’t come out and say this was going on.”
Troves of documents about Epstein were released to the public by the Department of Justice in recent months. The files have named hundreds of prominent individuals.