Whoopi Goldberg almost died several years ago after a health battle, but she’s since recovered. Yet, fans of The View shared their deep concern for the host after her “painful” struggle on the talk show. Keep reading to find out what’s going on.
Whoopi Goldberg Has Several Health Issues
Whoopi Goldberg turned 70 in late 2025. Like anyone her age, she has several health issues that affect her in different ways. In 2019, she was hospitalized with pneumonia. She was near death as she also battled sepsis at the same time. Luckily, the doctors were able to treat her and bring her back from the brink of death.
Viewers may have noticed that the actress stopped wearing her glasses on the show a few years ago. She was diagnosed with presbyopia, a condition that makes it difficult to focus on close objects. Whoopi Goldberg had eye correction surgery in 2023 and was finally able to get rid of her glasses after nearly three decades.
However, she quietly began wearing them again without explaining why. But perhaps her biggest struggle on the talk show is dyslexia. The Oscar-winning actress wasn’t diagnosed with the learning disability until she was an adult. As moderator of The View, reading is a huge part of her job. Fans spoke about Whoopi Goldberg, clearly struggling to do her job.
The View Fans Worried, ‘Painful’ To Watch
Whoopi Goldberg has been the moderator on The View since 2007 and has no plans to leave. A self-described “huge” fan of Whoopi Goldberg took to Reddit to address the agony of watching her struggle to read the teleprompter.
- “I think the producers are doing her a disservice. She’s let it be known she’s dyslexic and it seems that lately she’s been having a really tough time reading the prompter and setting up the stories.”
Other viewers agreed that it was “painful” to watch Whoopi Goldberg struggle to read the teleprompter and mispronounce names.
- “She gets paid so much money, pretty sure she can spend some time making sure how to use a teleprompter. She doesn’t need to be coddled.”
- “Clearly she struggles with reading that teleprompter more and more. It’s hard to watch, but more than that, I feel bad for her.”
- “Yes. I like Whoopi too. But, it is time for her to retire.”
- “I agree that it’s painful watching her struggle with the teleprompter. I have a son who has dyslexia so I have mad respect for their plight but it feels stressful watching her mispronouncing names and fighting for her life some days with that teleprompter.”
- “It’s always been an irritant (for me) to see her struggle through the teleprompter very simple script every time she is on the show. We of course feel sympathetic about her dyslexia but if she would take the time to read through the script ahead of each show”
Whoopi Goldberg dropped out of high school at the age of 17 due to undiagnosed dyslexia. She went on to find success in film and television. But some fans think it’s unfair to make her struggle to read the teleprompter on The View.
What do you think the problem is? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger