Whoopi Goldberg: 'Mel Gibson Is Not a Racist'

By PopEater Staff Posted Jul 13th 2010 08:47AM

Mel Gibson's tape-recorded rants at baby mama Oksana Grigorieva are horrifying, but they're not racist, according to Whoopi Goldberg, a friend of the actor.

"I know Mel, and I know he's not a racist," Whoopi said on 'The View' on Monday, seeming both earnest and cautious to weigh in. "I have had a long friendship with Mel. You can say he's being a bonehead, but I can't sit and say that he's a racist having spent time with him in my house with my kids. I don't like what he's done, make no mistake."

The tapes, of which RadarOnline.com has released two parts thus far, feature an enraged Gibson bellowing at the mother of his 8-month-old daughter, relentlessly employing C-words, F-bombs and, sadly and disturbingly, racial slurs including the N-word.

When Joy Behar asked if Goldberg considered Gibson anti-Semitic after his 2006 tirade against a Jewish police officer in LA , Goldberg began calling him "an ass" before stifling herself. Whoopi then pinpointed alcohol as the culprit. "Drunks say stupid stuff to people all the time -- because they're drunk, they're out of control, they are not thinking, they are idiotic. I can't say anything about people like that because I know what they're like when they're drunk. This rant? I don't think he's drunk on this rant."

Whoopi concluded: "I'm not defending Mel. I'm simply saying I don't see him as [a racist] because that's not been my experience with him."

See the clip:

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http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Mel Gibson Snapshots

Mel Gibson laughs between takes while shooting a scene from the upcoming movie "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" on Wednesday June 9, 2010 in Brownsville, Texas.

THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Mel Gibson Snapshots

©BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM Oksana Grigorieva has a meeting with her lawyer. A nasty tape recording containing a tirade of abuse, allegedly from Mel Gibson, was leaked to the press causing an even bigger feud between the ex-couple EXCLUSIVE July 1st, 2010 Job: 100701NC1 Century City, California www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com

Mel Gibson Snapshots

Tags: Mel Gibson, The View, Whoopi Goldberg

Comments

(147)

Tuesday 13 July

By John

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Kathy...if this is so unimportant to you, then why are you reading and replying to it???

By Nathan

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These words, that people use, are from anger and hate. When you are angry you use words that would hurt the most, and most of the time you don't mean them. In a fit of rage, you are out of control and just want to destroy that person with words. It doesn't mean that that is your feelings about everyone. It's ANGER not RACISM.

By Veryverily2

If having and using the "N" word in your vocabulary makes a person a racist, then every person who ever uses it, no matter what their skin color, is a racist. Lawyers such as F. Lee Bailey are racist for using it in court. All the rappers who have ever used it in their music are racists. The neighbor we used to live down the street from showed us a tape from one of her family reunions and there she was using the word, that makes her a racist. Or is it only racist when a Caucasian person uses it?

By Lorraine

Joy Behar needs to get over Mel Gibson. She is obsessed.

By Mxt One

All due respect, but Whoopi is an apologist and is terrible at identifying racist attitudes.

This is the same woman who married a man who thought it would be funny to appear in public in blackface. And more telling, Whoopi didn't have the sense to stop him. So she's proven she is pretty oblivious.

Bigots can have friends of different races and still harbor racist, bigoted attitudes.

By jnik

On top of that, she defended Roman Polanski; "I know it wasn't rape-rape." Everybody in Hollywood is OK with her!

Wednesday 14 July

By dora rice

Whoopy's taste as far as racism goes, is a little confused or more less a whole lot confused. She said the same thing about Danson who was her boyfriend for a while. Whoppy and rich white males seem to get along. Doesn't mean they aren't racists.

By Dirk

Whoopi must have been secretly recorded somewhere saying she hopes a friend will get "raped by a bunch of cr**kers"

By kk

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By the way, WHOOPI is sooo cool. she proves that she is a true friend, an honest person, and a good woman with a good soul and big heart.
And I am a straight white girl, who would love a friend like her. We need more WHOOPI's in the world!

By buddbo1

I would think that Whoopi, really didn't know her friend. Being a drunk is one thing, but being a racist brute, there's no excuse!

By Bird

I liked Whoopi - then she defended Roman Polanski against raping a 13 year girl. Said it wasn't "rape rape". Drugging and sodomizing a 13 yr old is rape. And Mel Gibson using racial slurs is racist. Wake up Whoopi - maybe it's time to choose better friends.

He strayed, he'll pay, and everyone knows the demons, and the hatred he possesses.

By jd

How many people are willing to boycott ANYTHING to do with Mel Gibson that puts money in his pocket and puffs up his already inflated ego? Count me in. The man is psychotic and dangerous. And for those who defend him...the death threats say it all.

Whoopi never met a white guy she didn't like!

By blady

Yes Whoopi, you're right. Mel is not a racist, he just talks and acts like one. Lady, get a clue!

By jpbreeze

Gibson deserves to be blacklisted for his incessant tirades against anyone who is not "Christian"! I will agree with Whoopi that he is not racist, just extremely bigoted and hypocritical. Only "men" get mad when other men look approvingly at their mate, yet I am sure Gibson has ogled over many Women in his life. The same is true when speaking about ones' daughter, i.e. "hey, that's my daughter your talking about", yet will go right out to a titty, (family) bar and stuff dollar bills down some other guys daughter's panties.

Years ago I respected Gibson, until I found out what a Theocractical nut job he is!

One thing I forgot to say. Whoopi blames his rants on alcohol, yet there is an old axiom that says drunks speak the truth when inebriated! Mel is just speaking truth that he (believes) he can't say while sober.

By anonymous too

Hey Whoopi you're idiot on this...he can be your friend and be a racist...how do those things seem so mutually exclusive to you?

By Jason

Here we go with the "R" word again. We seriously need to raise the "racist" bar. Until Mel Gibson is heard saying I'll never buy at a black own business, shop at a black owned business or use services from black entrepreneurs" he's not a racist. Buy those standards some of you black folk are some racist mofo's.

By Anthony

Whoopi...this is the same person who defended Roman Polanski when she said that his having sex with a teenager was not really rape. Now, Gibson uses the N word in a clearly deragotory manner, and she says he is not racist. I see a pattern here.

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