‘The View’: Whoopi Goldberg Explains Why She’s in Jeffrey Epstein Files

Amanda Bell February 17, 2026, 11:39 am

After Whoopi Goldberg‘s name appeared on a lengthy list of high-profile individuals whose names were mentioned at least once in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, The View cohost addressed the matter as the very first “Hot Topic” of the day on Tuesday’s (February 17) show, which was also the debut of Savannah Chrisley as guest cohost.

At the top of the hour, Goldberg asked producers to show the email where her name appeared and invited audiences to read through the document, which discussed whether Epstein would want to offer her a plane ride during her travel plans.

“Now, in the name of transparency, can you put up my name is in the files? Yes. And what does it say? It says, ‘Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco, John Lennon‘s charity.’ It should say Julian Lennon‘s charity is paying for it. ‘They don’t want to charter, so they’re looking for private owners. Here’s the info,’ and they give all the information,” Goldberg explained. She went on to point out that he declined, and she never rode on Epstein’s plane.

She then told her cohosts, including Sara Haines and Joy Behar, that she felt people were twisting her association with Epstein based on her name being on the DOJ’s list, which includes people like her who had no actual association with Epstein.

“People are trying to turn me into… I wasn’t his girlfriend,” she said. “I wasn’t.”

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Behar then countered that others on DOJ’s list of names have alleged ties to the child sex trafficker, saying, “Trump is on the list 38,000 times.”

“Well, I can’t speak to him, but I’m speaking about me because I’m getting dragged. People actually believe that I was with him. It’s like, honey, come on. Every man that I’ve ever been with, you’ve known about it because The Enquirer wrote about it. Your people wrote about this stuff. So no, I never had this, and no, I didn’t get on the plane,” Goldberg then said.

The View, weekdays, 11a/10c, ABC