The View co-host said she refuses to kick a man when he is down after her friend Tiger Woods was arrested on DUI charges following a rollover crash in Florida.
A friend speaks up
When the hosts of The View turned to the topic of Tiger Woods on April 1, Whoopi Goldberg made her position clear from the start. Woods is her friend, and she was not going to use his lowest moment as an opportunity to pile on.
Goldberg, 70, addressed Woods’ DUI arrest and his decision to seek treatment during the April 1 episode of the ABC daytime talk show. She kept her remarks brief and personal, saying she wished him nothing but the best and that she has no interest in criticizing someone who is already down. She left that, she said, to others.
What happened in Jupiter Island
Woods, 50, was arrested on March 27 after his Range Rover was involved in a two-car accident in Jupiter Island, Florida. Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies responding to the scene found two hydrocodone pills in his left pants pocket. According to a probable cause affidavit, Woods told authorities he had taken his medication that morning and had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his leg.
He had only recently returned to competitive golf, one year after rupturing his Achilles. He entered a not guilty plea in Martin County Court and has requested a jury trial.
On March 31, Woods posted a statement to social media announcing he was stepping away from the sport to focus on his health. He described the situation as serious and said he was committed to seeking treatment and returning in a better place, personally and professionally. He asked for privacy for himself and his family.
Augusta National Golf Club confirmed shortly after that Woods would not compete in the Masters. Club chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement that while Woods would not be present, his presence would be felt in Augusta.
A divided table
The discussion on The View reflected a range of perspectives. Co-host Sunny Hostin, 57, brought up the broader context of Woods’ physical history, noting his two decades of pain management and the number of surgeries he has endured. She drew a contrast between how the opioid crisis is typically discussed with empathy in public discourse and how that same empathy does not always extend to Woods. She was careful to clarify that she was not excusing impaired driving, but argued that grace was warranted given everything he has been through.
Guest co-host Whitney Cummings brought a more personal lens to the conversation. She spoke about growing up around addiction and described opioid dependence as a disease that actively works to conceal itself from the person experiencing it. She also pointed to the pressures placed on Woods from an early age as a factor worth considering.
Joy Behar, 83, was the most skeptical voice at the table, questioning why someone of Woods’ financial means could not arrange for a driver. Goldberg pushed back on that framing, noting that being driven everywhere carries its own social stigma and that Woods could not win either way.
She closed the conversation the same way she opened it, with quiet confidence in his ability to find his way through. He is getting what he needs, she said. He will get what he needs.
A pattern of crashes
The March 27 incident is not the first time Woods has been involved in a serious accident. He sustained significant injuries in a 2021 crash in Los Angeles that required surgery. A separate incident near his Florida home occurred in 2009. Each time, he found a way back to competitive golf, though the physical toll of those recoveries has been well documented.
Whether he returns to the sport again remains to be seen. What is clear is that the people closest to him, including Goldberg, are not measuring him by this moment.