Whoopi Goldberg reacts to Till body criticism: 'That was not a fat suit, that was me'
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Whoopi Goldberg has responded to criticism of her body in her new Emmett Till biopic film.
The Oscar-winning actress addressed a movie review of director Chinonye Chukwu's new project, Till — in which she appears as Alma Carthan, the titular subject's grandmother — after a critic wrote about her "distracting fat suit" following the film's New York Film Festival premiere.
"There was a young lady who writes for one of the magazines, and she was distracted by my fat suit, in her review," Goldberg said at the top of Monday's episode of The View, seemingly referencing a line that EW can confirm has been deleted from The Daily Beast's review of the film. "I don't really care how you felt about the movie, but you should know that was not a fat suit, that was me.... I assume you don't watch the show, or you would know that was not a fat suit."
An editor's note in the story indicated that the review "has been updated to reflect that Whoopi Goldberg says she was not wearing a fat suit." EW has reached out to the critic for comment.
Heidi Gutman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images; Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures Whoopi Goldberg addresses 'Till' body criticism on 'The View'
Goldberg continued, noting that she felt it was "okay to not be a fan of a movie," but urged the writer to "leave people's looks out" of the criticism. "Just comment on the acting, and if you have a question, ask somebody. I'm sure you didn't mean to be demeaning," she said.
Goldberg's fellow View panelist Sunny Hostin expressed surprise over the line, and pointed to Goldberg's publicized "health challenges" that she's "gotten over" in the last few years.
"We will hope that she just didn't know, and now she'll know the next time you go to talk about somebody, you talk about them as an actor," Goldberg finished. "If you're not sure if that's them in there, don't make blanket statements, because it makes you not sound like you know what you're doing."
Goldberg also produced Chukwu's historical retelling of the 14-year-old Till's 1955 lynching and his mother's (Danielle Deadwyler) subsequent fight for justice against the backdrop of southern America.
Chukwu previously said in a press conference that the Till family gave the film their blessing, as it was important for her to "not just show the inherent sadness and pain," but also the "joy and love that is really at the root of the narrative." Through interviews with the family, Chukwu said she discovered that Till was a "jokester," and felt it was essential "that we see, feel, and hear him be a boy before what would inevitably happen to him."
Till releases to select theaters on Oct. 14, followed by a nationwide release on Oct. 28.
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