Whoopi Goldberg detailed the darkest elements of her life in her new e-book, Bits and Items: My Mom, My Brother, and Me, devoted to her late mom, Emma Harris, and late brother, Clyde Ok. Johnson.
“Now, it’s time for a e-book about my nucleus household: my brother, Clyde, and particularly about my mom, as a result of not one of the different stuff would have occurred for me with out her,” Goldberg, 68, wrote within the memoir, which was launched on Tuesday, Could 7. (Harris died at age 78 in 2010 after struggling a stroke whereas Johnson died at age 65 in 2015.)
Goldberg isn’t any stranger to the publishing business, having written numerous books over time — together with seven kids’s books. Previous to the 2024 memoir, the actress’ most up-to-date e-book was launched in 2015, titled Whoopi’s Huge Ebook of Relationships. Goldberg’s Bits and Items differs from her different revealed works because it’s extra on the non-public facet.
From her mom’s dying to her bouts with drug habit, and even her personal musings on motherhood, Goldberg saved issues trustworthy. Hold studying for the most important revelations from Bits and Items:
Hollywood royalty! Whoopi Goldberg has fairly the status, each on and off the display screen. As an actress and movie producer, she is most well-known for her roles in Sister Act, The Shade Purple and Ghost, in addition to her longstanding cohosting duties on The View. She is the primary African American lady to earn the […]
Goldberg’s Childhood
The View star wrote that she solely “understood” her mom’s plight after changing into an grownup.
“My father and mom had separated, so I didn’t develop up with him,” Goldberg wrote. “She tried to get him to pay some help by the courts, however serving to Black ladies dwelling within the tasks wasn’t excessive on the state courtroom’s precedence checklist, and he or she couldn’t afford a lawyer who might need gotten one thing accomplished.”
Whoopi Goldberg Nancy R. Schiff/Getty Photographs
Regardless of the struggles, her mom “refused to use for welfare” as a result of Harris “didn’t just like the stigma.” Goldberg added, “I noticed her cry a few times about being unable to pay her taxes. However as a child, I by no means grasped that we have been at all times one paycheck away from the worst-case situation.”
Her Mother’s Psychological Well being Struggles
Goldberg recalled how her mom disappeared for 2 years throughout her childhood. It was later revealed that Harris was hospitalized and underwent electroshock remedy inflicting her to overlook Goldberg and her brother.
“I didn’t perceive till later that my mom had been despatched to Bellevue Hospital for having a nervous breakdown,” she wrote. “She had been performing otherwise for a few months, like she wished to be alone and never have me and Clyde to consider.”
Goldberg defined that her father and grandfather accepted of the “experimental” therapy.
Being Dyslexic
Goldberg wrote about having dyslexia — and hiding her struggles at school.
“No one within the Sixties was speaking about dyslexia,” she shared. “I by no means even knew there was a prognosis for what my mind did to the alphabet. I solely knew I needed to make it appear like I didn’t have an issue.”
Since The View premiered in August 1997, greater than 20 ladies have had everlasting roles as cohosts on the ABC morning discuss present. The sequence, which was created by Barbara Walters, encompasses a multi-generational panel that conducts interviews and discusses the information of the day, starting from politics to leisure. The unique lineup was comprised […]
Goldberg additional defined that she used memorization expertise whereas studying at school. “I locked it in my mind after which acted like I used to be studying it off the web page,” she wrote.
How Goldberg Bought Her Title
Born Caryn Johnson, the actress has her mom to thank for the identify Whoopi Goldberg. She bought her stage identify “Whoopi” after Goldberg “would generally let free with a fart,” she admitted. “I added ‘Cushione’ to it — with a French pronunciation.”
As soon as the stage identify gained traction, Goldberg fielded a name from her mother — who supplied a suggestion.
“I defined to her the entire farting factor. ‘Properly, if you happen to’re going to vary your identify and wish individuals to take you critically, you want a extra substantial identify,’ my mom suggested me,” Goldberg recalled. “I stated, ‘Oh, actually, nice namer of the celebs? What do you suppose it must be?’ She stated, ‘Properly, it’s best to take one of many names from the household tree. How about Goldberg? That has a pleasant ring to it.’ That turned my identify.”
Her Dependancy Struggles
Goldberg revealed that she turned “dependent” on medicine at 16 years previous. However was capable of shake the behavior after “hanging out at a youth heart” nightly.
“In the course of the day, it was places of work for drug rehab counselors,” she wrote. “Within the night, it was a spot the place younger individuals may come collectively and hold themselves from falling into dangerous issues. I had already fallen out and in of dangerous issues. However I’d present up and take heed to individuals speaking about why they did what they did and the way they bought freed from it.”
Within the Nineteen Eighties, Goldberg fell into medicine once more after being invited to events with Quaaludes and “traces of cocaine” — which turned her vice.
“I believed I may deal with the cocaine factor. It didn’t appear harmful. All people appeared to have entry to it, even on TV and film units,” Goldberg wrote, referring to herself as “a really high-functioning addict.”
The “cocaine began to kick my ass” and her work was impacted, she defined. “Lastly, I had a type of slap-in-the-face moments that make you see fairly f–king clearly that you just’ve hit backside.”
Alex Martin and Whoopi Goldberg Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Photographs
Changing into a Mom
Goldberg welcomed her daughter, Alex Martin, in 1973 together with her first husband, Alvin Martin. Goldberg stated the ache she skilled throughout childbirth was sufficient to make her not need to do it once more.
Additional discussing motherhood, Goldberg admitted that Alex was going to be “actually indignant” at her for being “away” on a regular basis. Elsewhere within the e-book, Goldberg famous that she would “by no means” win a motherhood award.
“She will get it now. However as a child, you’re not excited about monetary independence, safety, or having some backup within the checking account,” Goldberg wrote. “Whenever you’re 8 or 9, you simply need your mother round.”
How Patrick Swayze Pushed For Her Position in ‘Ghost’
After studying the script for the 1990 movie Ghost, Goldberg knew she wished to play Oda Mae. “My agent informed me that they weren’t going to contemplate me for the function,” she stated. However that was till the late Patrick Swayze turned Goldberg’s “advocate” for the half, which she ultimately bought.
“It turned out that Patrick and I had a very good connection within the scenes. We had enjoyable collectively,” Goldberg recalled. “Patrick gave me a present I by no means bought to repay and by no means may. Due to him, I bought my second Oscar nomination.”
Goldberg gained the Academy Award for Finest Supporting Actress for her Ghost function in 1991.
Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
A Friendship With Elizabeth Taylor
Goldberg met the late Elizabeth Taylor — whom she known as “an inspiration” — at a fundraiser, they usually started a years-long friendship.
“She took many slings and arrows from individuals about her weight, her marriages, and her diseases, even her identify. She didn’t prefer it when individuals known as her Liz. She by no means let that crap get in the way in which,” Goldberg wrote. “She was the perfect instance of what fame may do to assist individuals.”
Assembly Marlon Brando
In a single hilarious second, Goldberg wrote that she and the late Marlon Brando turned mates after he — kind of — broke into her home and performed the piano. When Brando died in 2004, he left Goldberg “a parcel of land on his Fiji island,” which the actress stated threw her “for a loop.”
After a name with Brando’s household, Goldberg ultimately gave her share of the island again to his household.
Her Mom’s Demise
Harris died in 2010, whereas Goldberg was “performing within the stage model of Sister Act” in London’s the West Finish. Dame Maggie Smith was on the present when Goldberg obtained a name from her brother that their mom had died. (Each Goldberg and Smith starred within the 1992 film Sister Act.)
A real icon! Whoopi Goldberg went from humble beginnings to creating historical past — and he or she doesn’t present any indicators of stopping. The multitalented star grew up in New York Metropolis earlier than transferring throughout the nation to California within the Seventies. Her first main profession breakthrough occurred again on her house turf with the success of […]
Goldberg wrote that Smith went from being her “backstage firm” to staying together with her for the remainder of the night. “A flight was organized for me to go away early the following morning. For the following 5 hours, Maggie sat with me and let me discuss her ear off, telling tales about my mother, my growing-up years, and my brother. We laughed quite a bit,” Goldberg wrote.
Due to that, Goldberg wrote that she “would do something” for Smith.
Scattering Her Mom’s Ashes
Apparently, scattering a cherished one’s ashes in Disneyland is prohibited — and Goldberg discovered that the onerous approach. She scattered her mom’s ashes on the “It’s a Small World” experience, telling an worker years later.
“I’ve been informed it’s a HEPA cleanup concern,” she wrote. “You may end up escorted to the car parking zone fairly fast. Don’t do what I did.”
