Whoopi Goldberg issued an apology to former America’s Next Top Model contestant Alexandra Underwood after Netflix’s new, tell-all documentary Reality Check revealed the daytime host once laughed at the contestant’s unfortunate luck on The View, years ago.
While discussing the new documentary on the show Wednesday (Feb. 18), Goldberg shared it features a moment from The View where she laughed at the contestant after she was knocked over on the runway by a swinging pendulum on America’s Next Top Model. In the clip, Goldberg is the only host laughing as Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepard watched the clip.
“This was, to me, one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life,” Goldberg admitted. “I wanted to apologize because there is a person who got knocked off there and her name is Alexandra Underwood from Cycle 14.”
But Goldberg continued to laugh as she said, “I’m sorry I laughed at this, I couldn’t help it. It was funny as hell. But I am telling you, it was one of the funniest things. If I had to point to something, it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen.”
The View hosts then ribbed Goldberg for continuing to laugh at Underwood as she apologized.
After Goldberg’s attempted apology, Sara Haines looked into the camera and added, “What she means is she’s sorry she’s still laughing about it.”
“Next week, you’re gonna apologize for today,” Behar quipped.
The View guest Savannah Chrisley praised Goldberg for apologizing at all.
“It takes a lot for you to apologize in a situation like that, especially back then,” she commented. “I’m sorry, but we’re held to a different standard now.”
Goldberg insisted that she wanted to make it right by apologizing to Underwood. But, as she explained, she just finds “people slipping and falling” to be funny.
“She’s a grown up now, grown woman, maybe she’s got kids,” she said. “And I just wanted her to know, I wasn’t laughing – I was laughing because to me, people slipping and falling, banana peels, [is funny].”
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model chronicles “the chaos in front and behind the camera” of the long-running modeling competition series, featuring input from former contestants, judges and host and executive producer Tyra Banks.
The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.
