Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most recognized and celebrated Americans in the world. A multi-millionaire movie star, a Broadway legend, comedian, producer and talk show host, Goldberg seems to have her life all together.
Despite her success, Whoopi’s life hasn’t always been perfect. In her new memoir, “Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me,” she shares her struggles. Scheduled for release on Tuesday, May 7, the EGOT winner reveals her past cocaine addiction in the 1980s.
One incident she recalled in the book happened in a New York City hotel where she was caught snorting the drug by a housekeeper.
“I screamed, she screamed and backed up and looked like she was going to run,” she wrote. “I had to get to her quickly and try to calm her down. She was staring at my face as I talked,” the 68-year-old then said of the staffer, according to OK!
It was only after this that the “Sister Act” star glanced in the mirror and realized why the woman was startled. She didn’t realize her face was covered in white powder.
“The View” co-host considers that she was a “very high-functioning addict” during this time. This perspective gave her insight into Charlie Sheen’s widely publicized addiction during a 2011 episode of Goldberg’s show.
Whoopi Goldberg, author of the new memoir 'Bits and Pieces,' reflects on the moments early in her career with Mike Nichols and Steven Spielberg and what her Oscar win for 'Ghost' meant to her: "I had reached a pinnacle which I had always hoped for as a little kid." pic.twitter.com/6gdwZ34d1m
— The View (@TheView) May 5, 2024
Sheen’s addiction became so out of control that producers wanted him to go into rehab and take a hiatus from his hit show “Two and a Half Men.” He did not, believing that he could film while modifying his drug habit.
When the subject came up on her ABC talk show, she had to explain to her co-hosts the complicated psychology of an addict.
“He is an alcoholic, he is a drug user. He knows he has a lot of people he’s responsible for [on the show],” she shared, adding, “Having been a drug addict, I feel I can say this.”
“I was a functioning drug addict,” she shared with her co-hosts and their millions of viewers. “I showed up for work because I knew a lot of people would be out of work and I wouldn’t get a check that I needed to buy my drugs.”
Then Whoopi described to the panel one of her lowest moments during her addiction.
“I ended up sitting on a bed for three or four days scared there was something under the bed,” she recalled. “I wet the bed, I pooped the bed… I was so scared. I hit bottom. I did that a long time ago.”
With this understanding of the depths of addiction, she said, “This isn’t the producers’ decision [to make]. Until Charlie makes the decision that he’s ready and willing to stop doing what he’s doing … he’s not there yet.”
Cocaine was not the only drug that Whoopi admitted to using.
“I was young, homeless and addicted to heroin. I dropped out of high school and into drugs. Simple as that,” she told The Sunday Telegraph, Digital Spy reports.
“I was a child of the ’60s, so I ingested as many mind-altering substances as I could. It was a rite of passage,” she continued, before adding, “And when I got clean I was convinced I wanted to be an actor.”
With nearly four decades of sobriety, Whoopi is among the most acclaimed figures on TV and in movies. She boasts a résumé of over 150 films. She is also a producer in motion pictures and on Broadway. Now she adds author to her prestigious record.
Whoopi, the first Black woman to achieve an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, still shows up every day for her talk show. The new book will allow fans to look even closer into her life, see her resilience and draw from it inspiration, showing that anyone with talent and dedication can succeed.
