Whoopi Goldberg Remembers Supporting Bill Geddy During Controversies – Deadline

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the view Today pays tribute to the late Bill Geddy, the show’s co-creator with Barbara Walters and longtime executive producer who passed away on July 20 from coronary issues.

In addition to the segments featuring Geddie’s comic appearances usually on the show, Scenery Moderator Whoopi Goldberg and the current and former panelists remembered their old chair with affection and candor.

“He was 68 years old, and he was really weird and funny,” Goldberg said at the beginning of the segment.

Watch clips from the tribute below.

Both Goldberg and former host Sherri Shepherd recalled how Jedi offered words of support and encouragement during times of controversy and backlash.

For Shepherd, the controversy came early for her Scenery in 2007 when she suggested she didn’t know if the Earth was round or flat. “I never thought of that.” Shepard said at the time, but today she said she told Jedi after the episode that she knows Earth is round and wants to clarify her statement. “No! These are ratings, baby!” said Bill.

Shepard said that Jedi advised her that “if we apologize for everything this will be called Offer apology. it’s called the view.“

Goldberg notes that she received Jedi’s support during two particularly difficult periods: first, in 2007, when she defended soccer player Michael Vick for his involvement in illegal dogfighting; and the second, in 2022, when she was suspended from the show for two weeks (she had said the Holocaust was “not about race”; she later apologized).

“I was asked to stay away for a week or two, and Bill wrote to me and said, ‘You know, that’s the nature of this show, and that’s why we put you in,’” Goldberg said today, without elaborating on the incident. We pay you to give your opinion.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin recalled her audition for the viewand how she would passively observe her fellow test subjects discussing a topic. “Have you been watching a ping pong match?” , scolded the Jedi, then said to Hostin, “You’re supposed to be on width, no to watch The show.” Recently, a few weeks before his death, Huston said, Geddy, who left the show in 2014, texted her to say, “I told you to bend over, you’re leaning out”… I couldn’t believe he was still giving guidance.”

Ana Navarro, an anti-Trump Republican, said she was surprised when she first met Geddy, that he was a “strong Republican”.

“We had a good drive [on this show] and bad leadership and there is no doubt that Bill was a good leader.

Longtime co-host of the show, Joy Behar, was off today and will be hosting her memorial on tomorrow’s episode, Goldberg said. In a statement posted on social media last week, Behar wrote, “Bill loves comedy and lots of laughs not to mention a good cigar. I am forever grateful to him and Barbara for the opportunity to be on the scene.”