Whoopi Goldberg has opened up with a blunt explanation for why she isn’t planning to ‘slow down’ anytime soon after being asked about retirement.
Goldberg’s breakout movie role came in 1985 with The Color Purple, where she played Celie Harris in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed adaptation.
From there, the New York City-born performer went on to build a career packed with major titles, including Sister Act, Ghost, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and The Lion King, before becoming a familiar face on daytime TV.
She has now spent nearly two decades as a co-host on ABC’s The View, and she’s set to turn 71 in November 2026.
Not long before Goldberg (whose birth name is Caryn Johnson) celebrated her 70th birthday last year, Entertainment Tonight asked her about the possibility of easing off work — and whether retirement was on her mind.
In 2024, there were whispers that the actor and comedian might be considering stepping away from The View. However, she hasn’t done so — and based on her comments, she doesn’t appear to be in a rush to make that change.
During the interview in September, Goldberg was asked: “Do you ever think about slowing down and just enjoying life?”
Goldberg replied: “Yeah, but who can afford to do that? If you don’t marry well you’ve got to keep working.”
The Entertainment Tonight interviewer suggested she might be in a position to retire, saying: “I feel like you might be one of the people who can afford it by now,” but Goldberg made it clear she didn’t agree.
“No, not by now. Not yet,” she shared.
Goldberg has been married three times, and her most recent marriage — to Lyle Trachtenberg — ended in 1995.
She has also spoken openly about why she’s never felt drawn to getting married again. Appearing on The Don Lemon Show, Goldberg said: “I am fundamentally a selfish person and I’ve found that because I have a wonderful kid, and a son-in-law, and three grandkids and one great-grand[kid], that I don’t have time for a whole lot of other people coming into my life.”
She later expressed a similar view on the Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? chat show.
“You know, when you’re married to somebody, you have to be invested in how they’re feeling. I am not,” Goldberg admitted.
“I’m invested in my kid. I’m invested in her kids. I’m invested in my son in law. I’m invested in my friends.
“But I’m not invested in a relationship that would require as much as having a child requires and I know that that’s not for me.”