Whoopi Goldberg Defiantly Responds To Critics Claiming ‘The View’ Didn’t Address Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension

Whoopi Goldberg opened The View’s Monday edition by addressing critics who said the ABC talk show glossed over Jimmy Kimmel Live’s suspension. Kimmel’s program was indefinitely suspended on Sept. 17 after his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk, prompting a wave of support from celebrities and comedians for the late-night host. At the top of the show, Goldberg asked the audience, “Did y’all really think we weren’t gonna talk about Jimmy Kimmel?” and reminded viewers, “I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? So, you know, no one silences us.” She explained that The View has not gone anywhere—and that after the news broke last week, the hosts waited to see whether Kimmel would speak first, using a similar approach when Stephen Colbert’s show ended in May 2026. “But we are live here today and we are getting into it now,” she added.

Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro took turns defending the right to free speech on The View. Navarro condemned the ‘horrible senseless assignation of Charlie Kirk’ and, while she said she disagreed with him on several topics, noted that his death has been invoked to silence and cancel people. “The government itself is using its weight and power to bully and to scare people into silence,” she said during the discussion. The hosts framed the ongoing conversation within a broader debate about censorship, platform responsibility, and the line between condemning remarks and protecting speech.

During the same episode, the panel reaffirmed their stance on press freedom and the right to discuss controversial topics, with Hostin, Griffin, and Navarro emphasizing that open dialogue is essential on late-night and daytime television alike. The remarks come as ABC and other networks navigate a climate in which late-night hosts face scrutiny after high-profile remarks, and as Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, has publicly questioned content and the boundaries of audience protections. Goldberg’s framing of the show’s approach—that they monitor the news, then speak when ready—was presented as a commitment to honesty and transparency to viewers who tune in for 29 seasons of The View.

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC, and the Monday edition was presented as a return to form after a week of debate around Kimmel’s suspension and the broader debate about media accountability and freedom of expression. The discussion underscores The View’s ongoing role in shaping conversations about media ethics, satire, and the boundaries of public discourse in the current entertainment landscape.