Whoopi Goldberg refers to herself by birth name in surprise TV moment

EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg has surprised viewers by casually dropping her very different birth name on US TV.

The View never ceases to surprise.

On Monday’s episode of the US daytime talk show, the co-hosts debated the necessity of a new platform that can tell house hunters in the US the political affiliations of their potential new neighbours.

But while the ladies discussed if such an invention was necessary, Whoopi Goldberg casually dropped her real birth name that had viewers wondering if they’d heard her correctly.

Whoopi’s birth name is actually Caryn - pronounced ‘Karen.’

But before that, the co-host made it clear she was no fan of the start-up.

Whoopi Goldberg has revealed her real name.

“That is not a good idea because number one, it’s none of your business, and number two, it just fosters more division,” Goldberg said.

Sara Haines agreed, saying. “To pretend that our divisions are just political is the best part, because jerks come in every political affiliation.”

Meanwhile, Alyssa Farah Griffin said she thought it would be “boring” to live in a community where everyone shares the same ideology.

“I would sooner look at crime rates or the schools in the community,” she said.

Sunny Hostin strayed a bit in her reply, noting, “I have a multiracial family, my goddaughter is gay, some of my best friends are trans. I wouldn’t want to live next to an extremist that would make my family feel unwelcome.”

She then clarified, “But I don’t think that’s a political affiliation thing. I think it’s a behavioural thing.”

Goldberg said she’s noticed a shift in the last few years, which have marked “the first time I’ve ever heard people talking about it.”

“I was raised, you never asked anybody how they were voting. I would say, ‘Ma, who are you going to vote for?’ and she’d just give me that look. And she’d say to me, ‘Caryn, that’s nobody’s business,’” she recalled.

Goldberg’s birth name was Caryn Elaine Johnson. Picture: Valerie Macon/AFP

If you’re wondering who Caryn is, it’s Goldberg herself. The EGOT winner was not born Whoopi, but rather Caryn Elaine Johnson.

When asked about her name change by The New York Times in 2006, Goldberg replied, “Here’s the thing. When you’re performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go.

“So people used to say to me, ‘You are like a whoopee cushion.’ And that’s where the name came from.”

This story originally appeared on Decider and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Whoopi Goldberg refers to herself by birth name in surprise TV moment