Likely everyone has fallen victim to a friend’s, colleague’s or even family member’s name slipping their mind for a moment, but it’s not often that it happens on national television. Unfortunately, that was the case for Whoopi Goldberg, who recently forgot cohost Sara Haines’ name on The View.
The Ghost actress, 69, was introducing the show’s first guest of the morning when the awkward moment occurred.
“There’s so much happening in Washington, D.C. that we have a lot to talk about with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who’s joining us right now from our nation’s capital right now because she can’t go anywhere,” she said before laughing and noting that she and her costars “always love” to hear from Warren.
Whoopi then tried to pass the conversation to Sara, 47, but the Sister Act alum struggled to remember her cohost’s name despite having worked with her for seven seasons of The View. “So, uh …” she said, pausing and looking down while the audience laughed.
“I’m Sara,” the former The Chase host responded.
The View cohost Joy Behar chimed in to poke fun at Whoopi, telling her that she should “never forget What’s-Her-Name.”
In July 2024, Whoopi opened up about how COVID-19 affected her memory.
“I’m just getting over COVID — again — and I can barely remember anybody’s name … there are times when I go for a word and it’s not there,” she said.
And while forgetfulness can be a symptom of aging, Whoopi has made it clear that she isn’t afraid of getting older or retiring someday. In a September 2024 episode of The View, she called out today’s beauty standards while discussing a question she was supposed to ask her cohosts.
“I’m supposed to ask this really dumb question: Is this the new aging gracefully?” she asked. “We don’t have a choice. Either we feel good or you’re depending on somebody else to tell you what you are. I always thought it was more important for you to feel like you were hot enough for you.”
She continued, “Nobody wanted to hear it, nobody wanted to know what went on past a certain age. I kept doing it anyway, yeah, because it was the most ridiculous thing that my body had ever done to me. It was insane. For years, women of a certain age have been told that they don’t function, that they’re not sexually active, that they have no interests. I love when people tell me what I’m feeling. People who haven’t gotten to a certain age have no idea what my body is doing.”
In 2022, Whoopi spoke about her sense of fashion and how it has helped her avoid criticism of her aging.
“I didn’t have the same problems a beautiful actress has,” she told The Times of London. “I don’t have to worry about it. My stuff’s going to sag and fall and I will be fine. My chest is gonna do what it does. I can age the way I age.”
