WHOOPI Goldberg, born Caryn Johnson, has revealed the NSFW story behind deciding on her her stage name.
The View host, 67, opened up about landing on the new name and the surprising person who helped her choose it while appearing as a guest on Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday’s podcast.Raven, a former co-star of The View, recently launched The Best Podcast Ever with her wife, Miranda.
The Disney Channel alum welcomed past colleague Whoopi on for the latest episode, and the two discussed all about the creation of the Sister Act star’s stage name.
It was Miranda who asked Whoopi for a detailed explanation of the creation of the new moniker.
The 67-year-old quickly confessed: “It came from me being a champion farter.”Raven busted out laughing and insisted: “That’s why I love her so much!”
Miranda, meanwhile, asked if that’s “really” how the name came to be.
Whoopi confirmed it was true before expanding on her story.
“Yeah, because I was working in a small theater that didn’t really have much backstage space,” she said. “…and we had to change clothes, and there wasn’t a lot of space.”She added how her mother always told her “there’s more room out than in” and since her “farts did not come scented” due to eating reasonably clean, she felt “comfortable letting them rip.”
Whoopi went on: “So, one day, somebody said, ‘My God, you’re like a f**king Whoopi Cushion.’ So, they’d go, ‘Hey, Whoopi Cushion!’”
Then they began calling her by that name but in a French accent, until the actress’ mom told her it sounded like a “joke name.”
“But I think you, if you’re really gonna continue to be a serious artist, and you can have any name you want, but you need to weigh it in something,” Whoopi said her mom Emma, who passed away in 2010, told her.
Since it was her mom’s suggestion, the comedian asked her mother to help choose the final version of her stage name.
Her mom said there were multiple names from throughout their family that could be chosen, and she suggested Whoopi Goldberg.
The View host continued: “I don’t really know what made her say that, but she felt like I would not be taken seriously.
“I don’t know why she thought I would be taken more seriously as Whoopi Goldberg, but clearly she was right.”Whoopi’s guest appearance on Raven and Miranda’s podcast comes as the host is on vacation from The View.
The long-running talk show is currently on hiatus until its new season begins on September 5.
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