Whoopi Goldberg Admits She Can’t Retire From The View: “Still Gotta Pay the Bills”

At 69, Whoopi Goldberg — the longtime cohost of ABC’s The View — admits that while she would love to retire, stepping away simply isn’t an option yet.

Goldberg, who has been a fixture on the daytime talk show since 2007, will celebrate her 70th birthday this November. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, she was asked if she had considered slowing down. Her response was refreshingly candid:

“Who can really afford to do that? If you don’t marry well, you’ve got to keep working.”

When the reporter suggested she could probably afford to step back, Goldberg laughed and shook her head.

“No, not now. Not yet. I still gotta pay those bills, baby.”

Joy Behar’s take: “Creative people don’t retire”

Fellow cohost Joy Behar, 83, echoed that sentiment, telling the outlet she isn’t planning to stop anytime soon either.

“Creative people don’t really retire. I just love writing and creating. We don’t resign, we just keep going.”

Goldberg and Behar returned this week for the show’s 29th season, which premiered September 8, alongside cohosts Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, and Alyssa Farah Griffin.

Three marriages and a different view of love

Outside her career, Goldberg’s personal life has also drawn attention. She has been married three times: first to counselor Alvin Martin (1973–1979), then Dutch cinematographer David Claessen (1986–1988), and later union organizer Lyle Trachtenberg (1994–1995). She shares her only child, daughter Alexandra, now 51, with her first husband.

Over the years, the Sister Act star has been vocal about no longer wanting marriage in her life. In a 2011 interview with Piers Morgan, she even questioned whether she truly loved her ex-husbands.

“Some people just aren’t meant to be married, and I’m one of them. I’m sure it’s wonderful for lots of people, but I don’t have that commitment.”

Goldberg confessed that she once tied the knot because she wanted to “feel normal.”

“I thought being married would give me a more normal life. But it turns out that’s not the case. There isn’t a good reason to get married unless you truly want to share a life with someone through all the ups and downs. And I discovered that wasn’t for me.”