Whoopi Goldberg has hit back at a critic who falsely accused her of wearing a "fat suit" in the forthcoming Emmett Till biopic.
The movie tells the story of Mamie Till’s fight for justice after the lynching of her 14-year-old son in 1955. Goldberg, 66, is set to star as Alma Carthan, the teen's grandmother.
Discussing the film on the talk show The View, Goldberg addressed critic Kyndall Cunningham's review published by The Daily Beast where she said the star wore a "distracting fat suit" in the film.
"A lady who writes for one of the magazines and she was distracted by my fat suit in her review," the Sister Act actor said. "I’m just going to say this, I don’t really care how you felt about the movie, but you should know that was not a fat suit - that was me."
Watch the moment unfold below:"I assume you don't watch the show, or you would know that was not a fat suit. But I just want to let you know that it’s ok to not be a fan of a movie, but you want to leave people’s looks out," she continued.
The talk show host then urged that the writer not judge the way people look when it comes to critiquing films, saying: "So just comment on the acting, and if you have a question, ask somebody," adding. "Because I’m sure, you didn’t mean to be demeaning."
Her co-panelist Sara Haines chimed in and added: "But Whoopi if that was the distraction and you’re doing movie reviews on such a powerfully impactful, visceral response, tragic awful story, then I question your abilities to review a movie."
In addition to that, Goldberg's other co-panelist, Sunny Hostin, was shocked over the body suit comment, saying that the award-winning star has been "open" about the "health challenges" she had endured.
"We will hope that she just didn't know, and now she'll know the next time you go to talk about somebody, you talk about them as an actor," Goldberg responded to Hostin's statement.
"If you're not sure if that's them in there, don't make blanket statements, because it makes you not sound like you know what you're doing," she added.
The publication's review has since been updated with the line removed and an editor's note that read: "This story has been updated to reflect that Whoopi Goldberg says she was not wearing a fat suit."
Months before the Till movie began production in September 2021, The Color Purple star revealed that she took steroids to treat her sciatica symptoms after being hospitalized for the issue which can cause severe nerve pain.
Goldberg described the pain at the time as "a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg," per the Independent.
Usually, the discomfort is treated with steroid injections to relieve inflammation of the nerve roots. Also, the use of the medicine can impact the body’s metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.
Till is scheduled to release in theaters on October 14, followed by a general release on October 28.
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