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After finding herself caught up in the ongoingAmerica's Next Top Modelreckoning,The ViewcohostWhoopi Goldberghas publicly apologized for laughing at a formerANTMcontestant's expense onTyra Banks' modeling reality show.
In response to finding out thatNetflix's newReality Check: Inside America's Next Top Modeldocuseries included brief 2010 clip of Goldberg laughing atcycle 14 contestant AlexandraUnderwood falling off of a runway plagued by moving pendulums, the Oscar-winningGhostactress offered an apology to the model on Wednesday's live episode of the talk show.
"Here's something I want to do, because in this documentary there's a clip from our show, where I had showed the ladies this thing. Now, this was, to me, one of the funniest things I had ever seen in my life," Goldberg, 70, said as old footage played of her onThe Viewlaughing at Underwood's spill — which saw a giant pendulum knock the model off of a runway during the cycle 14 competition.
"You still say that," panelistSara Hainesadded, which Goldberg confirmed.
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"I do. I know, but I wanted to apologize, because there's a person who got knocked off there, and her name is Alexandra Underwood from cycle 14. I'm sorry I laughed at this," Goldberg said. "I couldn't help it, it was funny as hell. But, I am telling you it's one of the funniest things, if I had to point to something, it is one of the funniest thing I've sever seen."
Haines again cut in to save Goldberg's apology, hugging Goldberg as she quipped, "What she means is she's sorry she's still laughing about it!"
Guest cohost Savannah Chrisley jumped in to add, "Back then, I'm sorry, we're held to a different standard now. People tip-toe a lot more in today's day and age," which prompted Goldberg to clarify her words again.
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"I have fallen down. You have to take it when people are laughing, but this is maybe 10 years ago, and she's a grown-up now, a grown woman, maybe she's got kids, and I just wanted her to know that I wasn't laughing [at her], I was laughing because to me people slipping and falling [is funny]," Goldberg said.
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Comedian Joy Behar finished the segment by voicing a long-standing adage: "When I fall, it's tragedy. When you fall, it's comedy."
Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to Underwood for a response.
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The Viewcohost's words join a wealth ofANTMpersonalities who also spoke out about the show.Reality Checkincludes multiple interviews with Banks, former judges Jay Manuel, Nigel Barker, and Miss J. Alexander, as well as multiple contestants and producer Ken Mok.
Topics covered include allegations of sexual harassment and instances where models were tasked with darkening their skin to portray women of different races in photo shoots.
EW previously conducted a 20th anniversary oral history onANTMwith 14 past contestants speaking out onshocking moments from the program, including the switching-races shoots that took place on cycles 4 and 14.
"I kept saying, 'You guys are putting me in blackface,'"cycle 13's Jennifer An previously told EW, alleging that the show's team pinned her hair "so they could 'fro my hair out" to complete her evolution into a woman with African heritage. "They definitely didn't show any of that footage."
In a statement to EW at the time of the 2023 interviews, a spokesperson for Banks said that the intention of the shoots were to combat an industry where "lighter skin and straight hair were pervasive beauty standards," which "perpetuated deep insecurities within women." The spokesperson maintained that such shoots were "meant to be a moment celebrating and spotlighting underrepresented ideologies of beauty — textured hair and darker skin — on a global scale."
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Modelis now streaming on Netflix.
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