'The View' Whoopi Goldberg Admits Rejection And Hurt Feelings

The longtime TV personality reveals that comments made about her style during the 1993 Oscars led to hurt feelings and self-doubt.

For anyone who’s watched TV over the last 30 years, you’d know that Whoopi Goldberg has a large personality and a heaping helping of confidence to go along with it. For better or for worse, she often forms her opinions and will stick by them regardless of feedback. In fact, it’s one of the reasons she has become a widely respected figure in television. But that doesn’t mean that she is invulnerable. Like everyone else, Goldberg has had her fair share of insecurities that have eaten away at her. In a recent candid discussion with Page Six Style, Goldberg revealed some surprising insight into her psyche.

While attending the Fashion Group International Night of Stars gala on Tuesday, Whoopi sat down with Page Six Style to discuss a moment that haunted her for years. A moment that not only shaped the way that Goldberg viewed her wardrobe but prevented her from dressing up the way she wanted.

‘Do I Really Look That Ridiculous?’

Calling Goldberg multi-faceted might be a bit of an understatement. She has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout her career. Goldberg is one of 18 entertainers to win the EGOT. The EGOT includes receiving an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1991, she received her Oscar for her supporting role in Ghost.

Two years after her Oscar win, Goldberg returned to the Academy Awards where the only thing she received were harsh criticisms for her outfit. Goldberg opted to wear a lime green and dark purple jumpsuit, which flowered outwards into a cape-skirt. Her style was mocked so mercilessly that her dress has been routinely featured in countless “Worst Dressed” lists ever since. In 2014, The Hollywood Reporter included Goldberg’s dress in their “10 Most Outrageous Outfits” slideshow.

In the interview, Goldberg looked back on the flack she got for her outfit. “It hurt my feelings, I’m not going to lie. It hurt my feelings,” Goldberg said. “And it kept me from dressing up for a very long time. You have to remember, in those days, they would say things and you’d think, ‘Do I really look that ridiculous?'”

Whoopi Goldberg’s Inspiration For Her Infamous Outfit

For Goldberg, her decision to don the lime green and purple outfit was inspired by none other than Lucile Ball. Goldberg cited outfits worn by Ball in I Love Lucy. “Lucy would always come out in these great ensembles. And I thought, ‘I would like to wear that!’ And green is not a color I would normally wear, let me try it!” she said.

Whoopi Goldberg's outfit during a segment on 'The View' | Courtesy of ABC. — Whoopi Goldberg’s outfit during a segment on ‘The View’ | Courtesy of ABC.

Despite the endless jokes about her Oscars outfit over the years, Goldberg remains defiant in her style. In a 2019 interview with InStyle, Goldberg stood up for her fashion choices. “People will always say to somebody young, ‘Oh, you’re dressing so old,’ and they will say to an older woman, ‘Oh, you’re dressing too young,'” she said. “The clothes that we made, you could be 21 and wear it, you could be 65 and wear it, you could be whatever age you are and look good in it. And feel good in it. You’re not too old to wear anything that makes you happy. That’s the key. The only important voice, ever, is your own.”

Whoopi Goldberg might not have the most conventional style, but she certainly owns it. Although critics have been able to hurt her feelings in the past, Goldberg appears to be over-caring about what others say about her style. What do you think about Goldberg’s style? Let us know in the comments sections below.