Whoopi Goldberg called a recent piece in the New York Times “sloppy” after it failed to name her in a list of previous black Oscar winners, however, the newspaper has responded by saying the actress made “an error.”
As previously reported, the 55-year-old actress spoke of her “embarrassment” after being left off a list of black Oscar honorees in the article.
While co-hosting “The View” on Monday, Goldberg said, “I am embarrassed to tell you, it hurt me terribly. When you win an Academy Award, that’s part of what you’ve done, your legacy. I will always be ‘Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg…’ It’s very hard not to take it personally, but this is sloppy journalism because this is not a hidden thing.”
In the piece, writers Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott seemed to suggest that over the past 73 years, only seven blacks actors have won Academy Awards. They referenced triumphs by the likes of Halle Berry and Denzel Washington, but failed to name Goldberg, who claimed the Best Supporting Actress statue for her performance in 1981′s “Ghost” and was nominated for “The Color Purple.”
However, the Times have reacted to Goldberg’s fury, telling Entertainment Weekly, “The error lies with those who are reading the story incorrectly.”
The newspaper claims that it was merely drawing a comparison between the number of black actors/actresses who won prior to 2002, and those who have won since,” adding, “The story states very clearly that in 73 years, prior to 2002, only seven black actors/actresses won Oscars.”
