Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of Disney ABC’s The View, triggered widespread backlash this week after making a stunning on-air claim that life for Black Americans is equivalent to life under the current authoritarian regime of Iran.
The statement came during a debate with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who had been detailing the many human rights violations carried out by the Iranian government—including executions over personal orientation, imprisonment of women for dress code violations, and the violent silencing of dissent.
Arnold Schwarzenegger sits with the cast of The View – YouTube, The View
Goldberg interrupted the conversation to inject a historical grievance:
“Let’s not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie folks to the car,” she said. “Listen, I’m sorry, they used to just keep hanging Black people.”
When Griffin pushed back, saying the comparison wasn’t fair, Goldberg doubled down:
“It is the same,” she said.
Griffin then tried to explain that modern-day American life is nothing like the brutal theocratic regime in Iran.
Goldberg quickly responded, “Not if you’re Black.”
A screenshot of the hosts of the View discussing politics – YouTube, The View
The comment sparked immediate criticism, not only from viewers but also from Iranian-American experts who have first-hand knowledge of life under the regime.
Iranian Voices Push Back
Dr. Sheila Nazarian, whose family fled Iran in 1985 after her father was placed on a state watchlist, called Goldberg’s comparison “deeply misguided” in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“While discrimination is a serious issue in the U.S., comparing it to life under a totalitarian theocracy like Iran is not only inaccurate—it’s offensive,” said Nazarian. “In Iran, the government controls nearly every aspect of life. People can be imprisoned, tortured, or executed for peaceful actions, for how they dress, or for simply having an opinion.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger on The View with Sunny Hostin – YouTube, The View
Iranian-American journalist Lisa Daftari also sounded off on these comments.
“The very fact that Whoopi Goldberg, as a woman and a person of color, can speak her mind freely on national television without punishment proves just how free she is,” she said. “In Iran, saying the wrong thing gets you imprisoned—or worse.”
The Brutal Reality of Life in Iran
While Goldberg referenced acts from America’s past—many of which were rectified through legislative and social reform—the atrocities currently occurring in Iran are modern, systemic, and ongoing in 2025.
The hosts of The View applaud Anthony Weiner – YouTube, The View
Here’s a closer look at the facts about Iran that Whoopi Goldberg might find inconvenient.
Mass Executions
According to a United Nations report, Iran executed 975 people in 2024, the highest total since 2015. Many were convicted following forced confessions or sham trials.
Ethnic minorities such as the Baluch and Kurdish communities are disproportionately affected, often targeted under vague national security charges.
Suppression of Dissent
Thousands of journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens have been detained for expressing views online or participating in peaceful gatherings.
Joy Behar on The View – YouTube, The View
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Families of those who speak out are frequently harassed or detained themselves. High-profile arrests of artists, athletes, and students have become a grim routine.
Brutality Against Women
Iran’s human rights offenses against women need an actual bulleted list to properly document.
- Dress Code Enforcement/Electronic Surveilance of Women: Women are legally required to wear head coverings and modest clothing. The government uses drones, facial recognition, and a public informant app to enforce compliance.
- Punishment Measures: Violators face home raids, arrest, denial of bank access, car confiscation, and bans on foreign travel.
- Academic Suppression: Women are barred from studying in over 70 university programs, including engineering and sciences, and are routinely denied equal representation in political or judicial positions.
- Legal Discrimination: A woman’s testimony in court carries less weight than a man’s. She cannot freely divorce or obtain custody of her children without the husband’s consent.
Ana Navarro on The View – YouTube, The View
Activists like Nasrin Sotoudeh have received punishments such as 148 lashes and multi-decade sentences simply for representing women who removed their headscarves in public.
Targeting of Same-Sex Orientations
Iranian law criminalizes same-sex relations. Individuals found guilty can face lashes or execution.
Sunny Hostin issuing a legal notice on The View – YouTube, Page Six
In one high profile case, Ali Fazeli Monfared, a 20-year-old, was killed by his own family after his military exemption card revealed his identity. Activist Zahra Seddiqi Hamedani was also arrested while trying to flee Iran and spent over 50 days in solitary confinement. She was sentenced under charges of “corruption on Earth,” a charge often used to justify severe punishment without transparency.
Despite claims that the country supports so-called gender identity expression, in practice, the regime uses coerced surgeries and bureaucratic intimidation to force conformity, not freedom.
The Difference Couldn’t Be Clearer
Goldberg’s argument leans on historical wrongs that, while real, occurred in eras long past and have since been addressed through civil rights legislation, massive cultural shifts, and public accountability. In modern America, Black Americans vote, lead corporations, hold office, and sit on television panels watched by millions.
Whoopi Goldberg speaks about her bookk, “Bits and Pieces,” with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden during a special presentation, May 10, 2024 – Photo Credit Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.
In Iran, voicing opposition can result in imprisonment. Wearing the wrong outfit can get someone dragged off the street. Private identity choices can lead to state-imposed punishment—or worse.
To equate the two is not only inaccurate. It is offensive to those living through genuine, state-backed repression.
A Pattern of Reckless Commentary
This isn’t Goldberg’s first time pushing controversial claims that have alienated viewers and appalled historians. In 2022, she famously declared that a historic European tragedy against Jews in the 1930s and 40s was “not about race,” instead attributing it to “man’s inhumanity to man.” She was briefly suspended from The View but quickly returned after issuing an apology.
Now, in 2025 in the wake of her Iran comments, many are questioning whether Whoopi Goldberg has learned anything—or if her platform has insulated her from reality entirely.
Whoopi Goldberg’s comments on Iran may have been meant to provoke, to spark conversation, or perhaps signal solidarity. But the result was tone-deaf at best and deeply disrespectful at worst.
Anthony Weiner talks to Ana Navarro on The View – YouTube, The View
While America still grapples with its past, it’s not remotely comparable to a theocratic regime that executes hundreds annually, jails women for appearing in public without state-approved clothing, and imposes strict controls on how people live, think, and believe.
If Goldberg truly cares about injustice, perhaps it’s time she stopped rewriting history—and started paying attention to what’s happening in the world today.
What do you think about Whoopi Goldberg and her comparison of Iran and the U.S.? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Deport her to Iran then.
The things you say Iran is doing:
• Death penalty for criminals
• Ethnic minorities facing the consequences of their crimes
• Punishment for lies that undermine the country
• Forcing women to be modest and decent
• Traditional sexual values, no degeneracy
When you wrote this list, were you *trying* to make Iran sound based and awesome? We could do with all those things over here.