Whoopi Goldberg Demands Apology from Sports Reporter for Insulting LSU Basketball

Whoopi Goldberg Passionately Critiques Reporter Who Shamed LSU Basketball

Whoopi Goldberg. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Whoopi Goldberg expressed strong disapproval towards a well-known sports reporter for his controversial article about the LSU women's basketball team.

Before the Sweet 16 game between LSU and UCLA on March 30, Los Angeles Times journalist Ben Bolch made a comparison that sparked outrage. He referred to Angel Reese and the LSU team as "dirty debutantes" and "villains," while describing the UCLA team as "milk and cookies."

Goldberg, 68, expressed her frustration on the April 3 episode of The View, saying, "This really made me angry. How could you? How could you?"

She then subtly mentioned the incident involving radio host Don Imus, who was terminated in 2007 for making derogatory remarks about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

Goldberg questioned, "You didn’t learn from the last time somebody did something like that? You didn’t learn that that’s not how you talk about these women or these athletes? How dare you call them ‘dirty’ anything?” Looking directly into the camera, Goldberg saved her most personal criticisms for her final crescendo.

Goldberg emphasized the importance of being mindful of the words we use, especially when it comes to referring to young girls. She advised that if you have children in the future, particularly daughters, make sure to apologize to them if you have ever used derogatory terms like 'dirty debutante'. Remember, every little girl you see could be the one you are unknowingly hurting with such words.

Whoopi Goldberg Passionately Critiques Reporter Who Shamed LSU Basketball

Whoopi Goldberg expressed her disappointment in Bolch, mentioning that she was a fan before but not anymore.

After receiving a lot of criticism, Bolch apologized for the column on Monday, April 1. "It took me two days to write this apology because I wanted to be thoughtful in addressing the situation I caused," Bolch said. "I wasn't asked to write these words by my paper, but I feel it's important to own up to my mistake."

Bolch admitted that he made a mistake in his choice of words, trying to be clever but failing. He apologized for using offensive language towards the LSU and UCLA basketball teams, as well as to the readers. UCLA, a school he has covered for almost ten years, values diversity and inclusivity. Bolch acknowledged that he did not meet that standard in his writing and promised to do better in the future. He expressed deep regret for his actions.

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