The View’s Whoopi Goldberg candidly admits she ‘chose’ her career OVER her child after becoming a mom at 19 because she felt her shot at fame ‘would never happen again’

Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg has admitted that she chose her acting career over her only child Alexandrea Martin because she knew the opportunity to pursue success in entertainment would “never happen again.”

During a candid conversation on Tuesday’s episode of The View, the 68-year-old star told her co-hosts that her daughter “didn’t always like it,” but emphasized that she never traveled anywhere without her child.

The panel discussed Lily Allen’s recent comments about how having children ‘ruined her career’, when Whoopi decided to open up about her own life choices after becoming a mother in May 1974 at the age of 19.

“My child came before my career, and I chose my career because I knew it would never happen again,” she explained. “She didn’t always like it, but that’s the process of being a parent; they’re not supposed to like everything you do.”

The 68-year-old actress made the candid comments during Tuesday’s episode of The View

Whoopi, pictured here in 2004, told the panel that her only daughter Alexandrea ‘didn’t always like it’

Whoopi pictured here at the opening of Tyler Perry Studios in October 2019 with Alexandrea

When her co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin responded, “And you gave her a better life,” Whoopi humbly said, “Well, I hope…but the idea was that I would never not travel with my child.”

“I mean, even when I wasn’t famous, when we went on tour, when she was in that theater with me, you know wherever I went, she went. So it depends on what you can do if you can do it.”

Whoopi’s daughter Alexandrea was 11 years old when her moviegoers had the opportunity to witness her talents in her first major film role in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, in which she played Celie Harris-Johnson.

The acting jobs came quickly for the New York native and in 1991 Whoopi won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Oda Mae Brown in the 1990 hit Ghots – starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.

She played Deloris Van Cartier in the beloved 1992 film Sister Act, and the following year in the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

The mother of one has also had voice roles in hit films like Disney’s The Lion King, A Christmas Carol, The Rugrats Movie and later in 2010’s Toy Story 3.

Whoopi has received numerous awards and is also one of 19 entertainers to win the EGOT, including an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award and a Tony Award.

She has been host and moderator of ABC’s The View since September 2007, when she replaced Rosie O’Donnell.

Sara Haines (right) claimed that women ‘don’t have to ruin their careers to have a child’ as Whoopi listened to her point of view

Alyssa Farah Griffin admitted she’s ‘thinking about starting a family soon’, while Sunny Hostin (right) said women ‘can’t have everything at once’

Comedian Joy Behar asked the panel if they think “men ask themselves” about children and careers

Mother-of-two Sunny Hostin joined the conversation claiming, “I really think you have to prioritize certain things, like you can’t have everything at once.

‘You can have it at different times and my mother sacrificed her career for the first five years of my life and stayed at home with me and I remember that, and I stayed at home with Gabriel for the first year and a half, for two years . years, and I stayed home with Paloma for about six months because we couldn’t afford not to work at that time.”

The 55-year-old continued, “And I turned it down… I was offered my own show, but it was in Los Angeles and so I turned it down. So my career has suffered, I think, but I don’t think my children have suffered and those are the decisions I’ve made.”

Mum-of-three Sara Haines intervened and said of 38-year-old Lily: ‘I can’t relate to the life of a pop star or what that means for her career so I don’t address her directly, but I do. think women can have it all at different times.

‘So what I would say is that my parents both had to work, we couldn’t afford not to, so I grew up in a home where my mother balanced everything, where she was home inside and out , but we were actually together. others and that built a strong family.

‘For me, I’m not well versed and by that I mean I find that job so much harder around the clock – for me. It affects me mentally and that doesn’t mean everyone always has that choice, from financial necessity to mental health to other things, sometimes you have to do both.”

Alexandrea and Whoopi pictured at the 38th Emmy Awards in September 1986 with her second husband David Classen

When her co-host suggested she had given her daughter “a better life,” Whoopi responded, saying, “I hope”

Whoopi often took her daughter to star-studded events and the duo are pictured here arriving at the 86th Academy Awards in March 2014

Sara, 46, continued: ‘I think the problem here is that if you want to take a break and stay at home all these years it can damage a career, but for me it was just maternity leave, which you come straight back into and you will find ways to find balance.

‘Like Sunny said, you have to choose your moments because you’re not going to succeed… you always prioritize family, it’s the North Star of everything, but you can do it, I don’t think that means you have to . ruining a career to have a child.’

Alyssa, 34, who has no children yet, added: My husband and I talk about this a lot because we’re thinking about starting a family soon and he said, “say yes to everything now because we’re not going to be able to say yes against everything that is asked of us.”

“But I think there used to be a saying about thriving at work, in relationships and in friendships: pick two, but not all three.

“That’s what happens, like something suffers a little bit, but that doesn’t mean it’s going downhill. You just have to prioritize what is most important and I think having a family will be the most rewarding in the long run,” Alyssa added.

Joy Behar then came forward and asked the panel, “Do you think men ask themselves this question?” to which they all answered emphatically, “No.”