Shark Tank personality Barbara Corcoran has apologized to Whoopi Goldberg after fans commented that remarks she made to The View host amounted to fat-shaming.
‘I just came back from The View and saw my old friend, Whoopi,’ Corcoran, 72, said in a clip shoe posted to Twitter Thursday. ‘As you well know, she has a phenomenal sense of humor and I’ve known Whoopi for years.’
Corcoran said that she ‘made a joke at Whoopi’s expense,’ which she now realizes ‘wasn’t funny.
The latest: Shark Tank personality Barbara Corcoran, 72, has apologized to Whoopi Goldberg after fans commented that remarks she made to The View host amounted to fat-shaming
‘For anyone I may have offended unintentionally, I just want to say I really am very sorry.’
A number of social media users were critical of the way in which Corcoran worded her apology.
‘”To those I may of offended” is not an apology,’ one user said to Corcoran. ‘It lends responsibility on the listener and implies they may be the one lacking a sense of humor. Take full responsibility and lead with only yourself.’
One user shared an example of how they felt Corcoran should have apologized, writing, ‘I said something rude to Whoopi that may have hurt her feelings and likely hurt the feelings of several other people, whether they are overweight, love someone who is overweight, or are just good people. Body-shaming is unkind, and I am sorry for what I said.’
Corcoran admitted that she ‘made a joke at Whoopi’s expense,’ which she now realizes ‘wasn’t funny’
She said in the social media clip, ‘For anyone I may have offended unintentionally, I just want to say I really am very sorry’
Apology: Barbara later issued an apology to Whoopi and to any fans she might have offended with her off-kilter joke about the star’s weight
Another person commented on the poor timing of Corcoran’s post, noting that ‘the prior segment was referencing social media and young girls having to live up to certain body image standards.’
The user added, ‘You just spoke about instilling positivity to your own daughter and then did this to Whoopi. Be better Barbara!’
In the initial exchange, the 72-year-old investor sat among the panel to discuss the first Black female guest Shark, Emme Gred, of the denim brand Good American joining the show.
When Whoopi, 65, wondered if the jeans would fit her figure, Corcoran took a jab at Goldberg, only for co-host Ana Navarro to have her back.
‘They’re great jeans,’ the women assured each other while Mark Cuban and Daymond John appeared with Corcoran.
‘Will they fit this… COVID,’ Whoopi gestured while alluding to her backside. ‘Just thought I would ask.’
After everyone agreed that the size-inclusive range of denim was of high quality and promoted healthy body images, Corcoran jumped in.
‘And when you get finished with those jeans, and decide you don’t like them, give them to me. I’m gonna make two pairs!’ Corcoran said.
Yikes: Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran (right) was slammed by fans online after making a fat joke at the expense of Whoopi Goldberg (left) on The View Thursday morning
‘Whoopi, let me just tell you something,’ Navarro said. ‘Both Sara Haines and Jill Biden wore that dress already, on TV’
Talk about it: The 72-year-old famed investor sat among the panel to discuss the first Black female guest Shark, Emme Gred, of the denim brand Good American joining the show
‘This was so rude, and I’m glad Whoopi didn’t laugh and showed she didn’t find that funny,’ @africasnas wrote. ‘Who even is this lady????’
Goldberg went silent as the crowd booed against the shocking remark, while Navarro was instantly ready to defend her – by offering up her own dig aimed at Corcoran.
‘Whoopi, let me just tell you something,’ Navarro said, interjecting. ‘Both Sara Haines and Jill Biden wore that dress already, on TV.’
Navarro was calling out Corcoran’s fashion faux pas in a bid to get even with the Shark – and it worked – as Corcoran looked shocked, put her hands firmly on her hips and snapped: ‘That’s not true.’
But then Navarro appeared to double down on the fact that Goldberg had just been fat-shamed by Corcoran, by pointedly adding: ‘Donald Trump Jr. tried that on me. It didn’t work! No, no no.’
She was referring to the fact that Donald Trump Jr. had tried to fat-shame Navarro last month when she had a false positive test for COVID, and Trump Jr. tweeted that it was time to talk about ‘obesity.’
Navarro hit back at Trump Jr. with a stinging tweet, which included: ‘If you want to have a conversation about the effects of obesity on people with COVID, your dad is a phone call away… assuming he answers your calls.’
A number of social media users were critical of the way in which Corcoran worded her apology
Meanwhile, fans were initially shocked by Corcoran’s callous comment and took to Twitter to criticize the businesswoman.
‘Did I really just see what I saw on @theview?’ one user wrote. ‘I’m trying to not be about #CancelCulture but @BarbaraCorcoran you pushed it. How unladylike of you to insult @WhoopiGoldberg How undignified!’
‘This was so rude, and I’m glad Whoopi didn’t laugh and showed she didn’t find that funny,’ @africasnas wrote. ‘Who even is this lady????’
The video shared was a clip posted by Queen of Bravo, who wrote: ‘If you come for the Legend Whoopi, Queen Ana is gonna come for YOU!’
‘NOT TODAY SATAN!!!,’ @RoccoReyna1 wrote. ‘@ananavarro showed @BarbaraCorcoran not to mess with an EGOT.. the disrespect towards @WhoopiGoldberg was first class TRASH!!!’
No harm: Whoopi was later spotted outside the studio in Manhattan wearing a classic white button down with matching slacks
Best around: She appeared to be in good spirits despite the tense commentary on the morning talk show where she has been at the helm since 2007
Whoopi was later spotted outside the studio in Manhattan wearing a classic white button down with matching slacks as she walked with a cane for mobility assistance due to sciatic issues.
She appeared to be in good spirits despite the tense commentary on the morning talk show where she has been at the helm since 2007.
Whoopi has endured health struggles this year and was forced to take time off from The View in June because of sciatica, which is a painful condition that effects mobility as the nerve runs from your back down each leg.
‘Yes, it’s me, I’m back. I’m back. I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg,’ she shared online.
‘It’s like a bad boyfriend, a bad boyfriend who came back to mess with me. There I was trying to move my leg. Impossible to do. And it was really horrible. I’m glad to be here. I had a walker which kind of freaked me out. I didn’t know that I needed it. That first step with the walker, this is my new best friend. I’m just gliding along. That’s what happened to me.’
‘Did I really just see what I saw on @theview?’ one user wrote. ‘I’m trying to not be about #CancelCulture but @BarbaraCorcoran you pushed it. How unladylike of you to insult @WhoopiGoldberg How undignified!’
‘Cannot believe the fat joke made at @WhoopiGoldberg by Barbara Corcoran on The View today,’ Twitter user @ServiceDogAcdmy wrote. ‘Such a sad thing that fat shaming is still socially acceptable’
‘NOT TODAY SATAN!!!,’ @RoccoReyna1 wrote. ‘@ananavarro showed @BarbaraCorcoran not to mess with an EGOT.. the disrespect towards @WhoopiGoldberg was first class TRASH!!!’
Whoopi addressed her own issues with weight earlier this year when she said ‘I too am Valerie Bertinelli’ after the soap star appeared on the show to talk about her fluctuating figure. ‘I have the same issues,’ she shared.
Co-host Joy Behar added: ‘I did a thing for Jenny Craig years ago, and I lost 30 pounds. I put 15 back over the years so I would like to just say that right up front. I don’t think that you have to be going through something to gain weight. I’m not going through anything. I’m gaining weight.’
Behar went on: ‘Stop watching women. Stop watching what women look like, stop it already. I feel for poor Valerie having to endure this in public, it’s sad.’
In 2014, Whoopi’s weight was once again a discussion as she admitted to topping the scale at 217 pounds and needing a change.
She credited former co-host Sherri Shepherd with giving her motivation to lose the weight as she discussed season 18 during an interview for ABC News.
When asked how much weight she had lost, Whoopi said: ‘About 35 pounds. I happened to notice that I had begun to look like a linebacker. I happened to look over and there was Sherri, skinny, and I said, “What did you do?” She said, “I’ve been doing Rocco DiSpirito’s one pound a day diet.” I said, “Please, I want to do it too.”‘
Whoopi joked that having a ‘month off’ from work also helped aid in her transformation at the time.
In 2016, Goldberg joked about the annoying trend of holiday weight gain before panelist Jedidiah Bila noted that big butts were in style.
‘My whole life’s been the age of the age of the booty … I had the booty before Kim [Kardashian] had the booty,’ Goldberg said. ‘But I just decided, this is what it is.’