Whoopi Goldberg flubs “The View ”guest's name, calling her 'Dr. Jennifer Aniston' during tense debate on air
Whoopi Goldberg flubs “The View ”guest's name, calling her 'Dr. Jennifer Aniston' during tense debate on air
Joey NolfiMon, February 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTC
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Whoopi Goldberg and Dr. Jen Ashton on 'The View'; Jennifer Aniston
ABC (2); Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
The View moderator Whoopi Goldberg united the nation Monday morning, upon committing the same mistake that perhaps every American viewer of the ABC network has at some point over the last six years: Identifying the network's former resident medical expert, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, as Friends actress Jennifer Aniston.
Goldberg's relatable flub came amid a Hot Topics discussion about Punch, an adorable macaque whose story of abandonment and bullying at the hands of other primates inside his Japanese zoo enclosure took the internet by storm across the last week.
"Why aren't these zookeepers protecting Punch and putting him in a padded room?" cohost Ana Navarro asked her colleagues, as Goldberg — who joined the show via remote feed due to a blizzard in New York City — pushed back in what ultimately became a somewhat tense clash of ideals over Punch's ordeal.
Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Sunny Hostin, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, and Amanda Carpenter on The View
"I can tell you why, because they can't interfere," Goldberg said, while Navarro raised her voice to exclaim, "Yes they can, Whoopi! They should!"
An exasperated Goldberg cut in over the chatter to say, "No. 1, you guys, do you want the answer? I'm telling you the reason they don't do it. They don't do it because they have to let it play out the way it would play out in the wild. It's just the way it is."
She then launched into what would become an iconic fumble as she shifted the program to a commercial break, telling viewers, "But, you know what? You know who I'm going to ask this question to? When we come back, Dr. Jennifer Aniston is going to be with us, and I'm going to ask her what she thinks."
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Navarro cut in to remind her cohost, "It's not Aniston! Ashton!" Goldberg replied, "I know. Thanks! Thanks Ana! We'll be right back." The show then moved to an ad break as Navarro could be heard saying, "I want the monkey in my room!"
When The View returned, Goldberg addressed the nation and owned up to her mistake.
"Welcome back. I just want to point out that I called my friend, the great primate specialist Dr. Jen, 'Dr. Jennifer Aniston,' and Dr. Jennifer Aniston said to tell y'all I was correct. It's to not create a new situation in the monkey enclosure," the Ghost and Color Purple star said, jokingly doubling down on her mistake.
Whoopi Goldberg joins 'The View' virtually in 2026
She then properly addressed Ashton by her correct name, and welcomed her to the Hot Topics table to discuss a landmark health initiative that saw her donate $1 million to help begin an education program assisting cardiology research and OBGYN care.
Ashton served as a regular health contributor for ABC across a 13-year period, which ended in 2024 as she moved to launch her Ajenda newsletter.
The View airs weekdays on ABC.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
