Whoopi Goldberg Says This Guest Called "The View" Hosts an Awful Name
Emma Horne
Published Feb 22, 2026
The "Hot Topics" segment on The View has led to many heated debates between hosts and guests—it comes with the territory. But one long-time host of the show has revealed that a particular guest crossed a line in terms of treating the cast with respect. Whoopi Goldberg revealed that this person called the entire table an unrepeatable name when the cameras were off during her visit to The View. Read on to find out who was involved in the war or words, and for another uncomfortable experience on set, check out This Was the Worst Guest The View Ever Had, Former Host Says.
The incident occurred when Jeanine Pirro was on the show.
Jeanine Pirro, who is a former New York State judge and the host of Fox's daytime show Justice With Jeanine, was a guest on The View on July 19, 2018, to promote her book, Liars, Leakers, and Liberals. During the show, guest co-host Ana Navarro asked Pirro if she thought then-President Donald Trump was faithful to conservative values. In response, Pirro praised Trump for lowering the unemployment rate and for increasing the country's Gross Domestic Product.
As Goldberg was getting ready to ask another question, Pirro accused her of "Trump derangement syndrome," a term used to describe people who criticized Trump. "Clearly you don't watch the show, so you don't know that I don't suffer from that," Goldberg said to the first-time guest.
Goldberg also said that out of all the presidents in her lifetime, she'd never seen someone "whip up so much hate" as Trump, which led to an argument between Pirro and Goldberg about his immigration policies and the rights of immigrants. At a certain point, Goldberg had to leave the stage to cool off, and Pirro left the whole taping early.
At the end of the show, Goldberg told the audience, "I rarely lose my cool. I'm not proud of it. I don't like it. But I also don't like being accused of being hysterical."
For more daytime conflicts, check out Meghan McCain Says She Never Wants to Work With This The View Host Again.
The argument continued into the break and included Pirro calling the cast a rude name.
The next day, Goldberg took some time in the episode to reflect on the fight and share some things that the audience at home hadn't seen. As Pirro had already aired her side of the story on Fox and Friends that morning, Goldberg said she wanted to "clear some things up" about what went on after the discussion turned combative.
"After the segment…she then called everyone at the table a name I cannot repeat on TV and said it in front of the audience," Goldberg said.
The host explained that she had to step off the set to calm down because of Pirro. Pirro started to leave entirely, even though there was still a segment left, and Goldberg claimed she pointed her finger in Goldberg's face and yelled, "I've done more for victims than you ever will" as she did so. (They had also touched on sexual assault allegations against Trump.)
"Then I said to her some few choice words I cannot repeat," Goldberg added. "But I did not intimidate her. No one chased her out of here saying, 'Get out.'"
Goldberg said that issue with the Fox host had nothing to do with her beliefs. "We treat everybody with respect," she said. "But you cannot come and call people names. You cannot point at people…And people who know Jeanine know exactly what I'm talking about. They know that she likes to stir it up."
For another guest who stirred the pot during their talk show appearance, check out The Worst Late Night Guest Conan O'Brien Ever Had.
Pirro's explanation went a little differently.
On Fox and Friends the day after she walked off The View, Pirro claimed that when she saw Goldberg leave the set after their argument, she followed her out, believing the segment was over. She recalled running into Goldberg in the hallway backstage and bringing up her experience trying cases of sexual assault in her career as a prosecutor. At that point, Pirro claimed, Goldberg got into her face, cursed her out, and demanded that she leave the building. Asked whether she did anything to provoke Goldberg, she said no.
She was also asked what she would say to Goldberg after their altercation.
"I've always liked you, Whoopi," Pirro began. "I don't understand where the anger comes from. I went to have a conversation. And I wasn't allowed to have a conversation."
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Pirro hasn't been welcomed back to The View—yet.
During a taping of Watch What Happens Live in November of 2018, a viewer asked Goldberg if she'd talked to Pirro at all in the wake of their argument and whether she would ever be invited back to The View.
"I have not spoken to Jeanine, there's no reason to," Goldberg said. "And if there is something that is intelligent that she has to bring to the show, I'm sure they will book her. I don't book the show."
For another awkward on-set experience, check out Kenan Thompson Says This SNL Guest Made the Cast "Extremely Uncomfortable."
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