Whoopi Goldberg has been a host on The View for nearly 20 years. She has a long list of acting credits to her name. However, she won’t be leaving the talk show any time soon. She shared the shocking reason she refuses to retire. Keep reading for more details on the surprising admission.
Shocking Reason Whoopi Goldberg Refuses To Retire
Whoopi Goldberg starred in some of the most memorable movies. That’s why it was a surprise when she pivoted to talk show host. She joined The View in 2007 after Rosie O’Donnell left. The actress has been moderating the show ever since. Joy Behar does fill in on Whoopi’s days off and in her absence.
However, viewers should expect to hear Whoopi Goldberg announce her retirement any time soon. While promoting The View‘s new season in September 2025, Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg were asked about their retirement plans. The seniors (Joy is 83 and Whoopi is 70) both said they don’t plan to retire, but for wildly different reasons.
Joy Behar said that creative people never really retire. Even if she’s not on The View, she said she will continue working on various projects. But Whoopi Goldberg made it clear that she isn’t leaving the show any time soon.
“Yeah, but who can afford to do that? You know, if you don’t marry well, you gotta keep working,” she said. The View host added, “Not yet. I gotta keep paying those bills, baby.” Whoopi Goldberg was married three times.
Her comment was shocking considering her long career. Whoopi Goldberg is one of the rare EGOT (Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony) award winners. Is she broke?
The View Host’s Net Worth
Whoopi Goldberg won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Ghost. She went on to star in many other movies and even on Broadway. But she claimed that she can’t afford to retire. Her net worth tells another story.
Whoopi Goldberg was cast in The Color Purple in the mid-80s despite only having one other movie credit to her name. She likely didn’t receive much pay for that movie or Ghost. According to Parade magazine, the actress was paid $7 to $12 million for Sister Act 2 after the first movie’s popularity.
However, her biggest payday is The View. Her exact salary isn’t public, but estimated to be $8 million a year for co-hosting the talk show. Her total net worth as of 2026 is reported to be $20 million. That number will likely increase after the upcoming documentary on her life.
So, where does all her money go? When speaking about retirement, Whoopi Goldberg revealed that she financially supports her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandchildren.
Viewers Blast Her For Wasting Money
Whoopi Goldberg’s comments that she couldn’t “afford” to retire were meant to relate to the struggle many across the country face. However, the remarks didn’t go over well. The View fans took to Reddit at the time to blast her for wasting money.
- “Celebrities are allowed to spend their money on themselves. She could also live within her means.”
- “Bad financial planning is hard to be sympathetic of. How could you f up having millions of dollars for just being you”
- “I read she was almost bankrupt when The View came along.”
- “her entire family mooches off of her so she is pretty broke for a celebrity, makes sense she needs to keep working”
Several politicians have proposed pushing back the retirement age to 70. More and more workers are forgoing retirement and opting to stay on the job. Share your reaction to Whoopi Goldberg refusing to retire in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
