‘No Way’: ‘The View’ Host Whoopi Goldberg, 68, Reveals Dating a Man 40 Years Her Senior & Fans React

Acting icon Whoopi Goldberg opened up about a past romance while taping an episode of "The View" that has left many people stunned. Her candid revelation about her past relationship has sparked widespread conversation and intrigue online.

In a recent, eye-opening episode of "The View," Whoopi Goldberg, 68, made a startling revelation about her love life that has since sparked a frenzy of curiosity and surprise among the public. The discussion—originally centered around public reactions to Anne Hathaway's new film "The Idea of You"—unexpectedly veered toward the fact that Goldberg once dated a man significantly older than her.

Initially, all the co-hosts of the popular show began talking about society's disposition when it comes to the presence of vast age gaps in relationships. They did so by referring to the fact that in the film, Hathaway's character is a mom in her 40s who is in a relationship with a young musician in his 20s.

As the dialogue progressed, Goldberg candidly expressed her indifference towards age differences in romantic relationships, stating, "Well, I’ve gone up and down—I go—you know I go from here to here. Because I’m not—I’m not, you know—your age is not what’s going to get me into your arms. It’s not your age that I’m concerned about, unless you’re under 18, in which case, I can’t."

Goldberg then made an even more astonishing admission, disclosing, "Actually, I’m just gonna say this to you. One of the last relationships I had, he was 40 years older than me." This bombshell left viewers and social media users abuzz, prompting a wave of bewildered and intrigued responses across online platforms.

Comments ranged from disbelief to demands for more details. "When was Whoopi’s last relationship? Because no way was she dating a 100-year-old man. 😂" asserted one person, while another stated, "Wait…Whoopi can’t just drop that bombshell and then cut to commercial 😮. We need details Whoop ☕." Someone else asked, "Did I hear Whoopi correct at the end??" and another marveled, "Wait, Whoopi dated a guy in his 100s? 😮."

Though many may be surprised to hear of Goldberg's recent romantic venture, the star's openness about her past relationships isn't new. In a past interview with Piers Morgan, she delved into her history of marriages and relationships, revealing the transient nature of her commitments.

"The first one lasted six years. The second one lasted two years. And the last one lasted a year," Morgan noted. Goldberg then responded by explaining, "I suppose that, you know, you have to actually be in love with the person that you marry. You have to really be committed to them. And I’m just — I don’t have that commitment. I’m committed to my family."

During the same interview, the "Sister Act" actress admitted that she wasn’t in love with her husbands and married them in a quest for normalcy that ultimately felt misguided. "I wanted to feel normal. And it seemed to me that if I was married, I’d have a much normal — more normal life. But clearly, that’s not the case," she reflected.

However, despite the lack of love she felt concerning her previous relationships, Whoopi Goldberg did confess to being in love once. Though it didn't work out between her and the unidentified man, she confirmed that the two had maintained a friendship regardless of the fact that he had moved on and built a family with someone else.

In another interview she did with a news outlet in 2016, Goldberg articulated her contentment with being alone, highlighting a deep-rooted sense of autonomy. "I’m much happier on my own. I can spend as much time with somebody as I want to spend, but I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone. I don’t want somebody in my house," she divulged.

Goldberg's past reflections about love, marriage, and relationships and her most recent disclosure about dating a significantly older man open a dialogue about the complexities of human connections, regardless of age. As fans clamor for more details, Goldberg's history of valuing her independence and personal space shines a light on her unique perspective on love, commitment, and the societal norms that shape them.

Read another article that takes a deeper dive into Goldberg's thoughts on marriage and the past relationships in which she revealed she was not in love with her ex-husbands.

Legendary Academy Award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg, 67, best known for the incredible roles she plays in famous films, recently sat down for a podcast interview. In the episode hosted by fellow actress Raven-Symoné, Goldberg's sexuality surfaced as a topic of discussion.

Later in the interview, the Disney star prompted Goldberg to elaborate on her love interests. Raven admitted that the "Sister Act" star gave her the impression that she was romantically interested in women.

When elaborating on the topic, Goldberg disclosed that many women had asked her about her sexual preference for a while. Without beating around the bush, the 67-year-old answered:

"...I am not a lesbian. But I know lots of them, and I've played them on television."

Goldberg reiterated that she has many friends who are lesbian. However, she also discussed having boundaries with them when it comes to showing affection and such.

Goldberg's love life may not have included relationships with women. However, she has been married to three men in the past and holds strong opinions regarding the concept of marriage and commitment.

Whoopi Goldberg Has Some Strong Opinions about Marriage & Relationships

When it comes to marriage and relationships, the "The Color Purple" star has no interest in pursuing either. In a previous interview, she divulged how she enjoys and revels in solitude, and although she might enjoy spending time with someone, she is not looking for a forever partner or someone to live with.

In fact, while speaking on her past three marriages, Goldberg admitted to only pursuing those relationships because it was something that society expected of her. The actress said it took a while for her to figure out that she didn't have to allow herself to feel pressured into spending her life with a significant other.

At some point after her marriage to Claessen ended, she dated Timothy Dalton for three years, and the duo were seen attending numerous red-carpet events together.

Moreover, Goldberg asserted that one should not be in a marriage simply because it is something that everybody expects of that person. Likening her opinions to her situations with men in the past, particularly the three men she married, Goldberg disclosed that she was never in love with any of them and admitted to only getting married because:

"...I wanted to feel normal, and it seemed to me that if I was married, I'd have a much more normal life, but clearly that's not the case. That's not a good reason to get married. You have to actually want a life with someone through ups and downs."

Surprisingly, Goldberg said that she has only ever been in love once. Though she would not reveal who the man was, she said that she still would not have married that person, based on what she discovered about her preference to be single.

Of her marriages that all ended in divorce, Goldberg believes that she was the common denominator in the relationships not working out. She said her commitment was never as strong as that of her past husbands.

Additionally, the Hollywood talent simply believes that she was never meant to be married in the first place. She even claimed:

"...I'm the round peg, and marriage is the square hole. You can't have a square hole, can you?"

Goldberg is living her best life solo, despite people constantly reassuring her she will meet someone special when the time is right. According to her:

"When you make a commitment to someone else, it's a commitment to ask their opinion and listen and work it out with them...I know for me it doesn't work."

She even discusses the relationship lessons she has learned in her book "If Someone Says "You Complete Me," RUN!: Whoopi's Big Book of Relationships." For the actress, one must be a complete person before engaging in any relationship.

Far from being worried about the next suitor, Goldberg's primary focus is her family, including her daughter, Alex Martin, grandkids, and friends. As another reason for not wanting to pursue marriage, Goldberg explained that no matter who the significant other is, they will never be the number one priority in her life.

Whoopi Goldberg's Love Life: She Was Married Three Times

Rewinding back to her past marriages, Goldberg tied the knot with her first husband, Alvin Martin, at 18. This was before she reached an unprecedented amount of fame and success in the entertainment industry.

The former couple wed in 1973, and according to sources, Alvin was working as a drug counselor at the time. The following year, after they got hitched, they welcomed Alex in May. However, in 1979, the pair divorced.

Sometime after her movie career started, Goldberg married a cinematographer named David Claessen in 1986. But, by the time 1988 rolled around, the couple, who had a four-year age difference, split up.

Her third and final marriage was to fellow actor and unionist Lyle Trachtenberg. The wedding happened in October 1994, but their relationship did not make it past 1995.

According to reports, in between her marriages, Goldberg dated multiple other men. At some point after her marriage to Claessen ended, she dated Timothy Dalton for three years, and the duo were seen attending numerous red-carpet events together.

Goldberg was also romantically involved with Ted Danson. Their relationship was labeled a high-profile affair because Danson was married to Cassandra Coates at the time.

Goldberg was involved in a series of romantic relationships outside of her three marriages. However, the Hollywood icon has no plans thus far of getting into new relationships and has often said that she is happy being alone.

She enjoys living alone in her house with her primary focus placed on spending time with her daughter, grandchildren, and friends.