Whoopi Goldberg Defends Elliot Page Against Transphobic Backlash

WHO:

NY Post - Goldberg's "View" co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin defended Page's role in the film.

Variety - Whoopi Goldberg is a panelist on "The View."

Deadline - Elliot Page is the actor cast in Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey."

Variety - Ben Shapiro is a commentator who criticized Page's casting.

WHAT:

Deadline - Conservative critics should be "eating their words" following the box office success of "The Odyssey."

Variety - Whoopi Goldberg defended Elliot Page's casting in "The Odyssey" during an episode of "The View."

Deadline - "The Odyssey" surpassed $300 million after a record opening weekend.

Variety - Shapiro referred to Page's casting as an "absolute puzzler" and criticized his physical attributes, stating he is "about 5’2 and 105 pounds soaking wet."

Deadline - Goldberg responded to social media critics who were "losing their minds over the cast" and "still trashing the movie."

WHERE:

Variety - The discussion took place on the set of "The View."

WHEN:

Variety - The episode of "The View" where Goldberg defended Page aired on a Tuesday.

WHY:

Variety - Goldberg questioned the motivations of critics, asking, "Why do you care who’s cast in it?"

HOW:

Variety - Goldberg dismissed a clip of commentator Ben Shapiro calling Page's casting a mistake.

Deadline - Goldberg urged critics to "Don’t go see the damn movie" if they disapproved of the casting.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 20:21 UTC)

In a recent discussion, co-hosts Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin from "The View" came to the defense of Page's role in the film "The Odyssey." Conservative critics are now facing backlash, as the film's box office success has them "eating their words." Meanwhile, Goldberg brushed off a clip from commentator Ben Shapiro, who had labeled Page's casting a mistake.

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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 11:39 UTC)

Whoopi Goldberg defended Elliot Page's casting in Christopher Nolan's upcoming film "The Odyssey" during a recent episode of "The View," where she addressed social media critics who were upset about the decision. The film has already surpassed $300 million after a record opening weekend, but commentator Ben Shapiro criticized Page's casting, calling it an "absolute puzzler" and questioning his physical attributes. In response to the backlash, Goldberg urged critics to simply "Don’t go see the damn movie" if they disapproved of the casting, while questioning their motivations by asking, "Why do you care who’s cast in it?"