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Rachel Bilson Claps Back at Whoopi Goldberg for ‘Shaming’ Her Over Comments on Men’s Sex Count
Rachel Bilson joked that she should “be sending Whoopi [Goldberg] a f–king Christmas present” because of how much publicity The View host gave her by slamming comments that the Hart of Dixie alum made in October.
“It almost felt like shaming in a way,” Rachel, 42, admitted on the Sunday, December 17, episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast. “I normally don’t respond when I get called out for things. But then again, it’s like, ‘Alright, well if you’re talking about my podcast and I said something, let me respond because it’s just going to bring more people to maybe hear the conversation in the first place.’”
The drama between The O.C. actress and Whoopi, 68, began when Whoopi commented on something Rachel said on her “Broad Ideas” podcast. On the podcast’s October 2 episode, Rachel said, “If [a partner’s sex count] is really low, at this day and age, you’d be like, ‘It’s a little weird. This is going to sound so judgmental, but if a dude’s, like, in his 40s, and he’s like, slept with four women …”
However, she quickly clarified, “But it all depends. Maybe he’s been in, like, decade[-long] relationships.” Later in the episode, she added, “I don’t know. It’s not fair for me to say either way.”
Whoopi slammed the actress for what she said and did not acknowledge that Rachel had actually backtracked on her initial statement during the conversation.
“I’m sorry, I think it’s very odd that you’re concerned that he’s had sexual partners … any sexual partners,” she said on The View. “Why is it your business? Listen, men, traditionally, were taught to have many sexual partners. That’s how it was. Men could go and do whatever they wanted to do and women were not supposed to. Now that has been shifting and young women have been bitching about, you know, ‘Why are you telling me what I should be [doing]?’ Now, it’s happening and you’re mad? I don’t understand. If he’s happy with you and you’re having a good time, why are you bitching?”
Rachel initially defended herself against Whoopi in an October 5 interview. “I want to say that I’ve been a fan of Whoopi’s for a very long time, so when I saw the tagline that she criticized something I said, I, of course, was concerned,” she admitted.
She also reiterated that the full podcast conversation was not highlighted when Whoopi talked about it on The View.
“We make it a very safe open place to discuss anything and we were just talking,” she continued. “I have the power to edit our podcast and I chose to keep the conversation as a whole in, because a lot of the time in life, you say something, and maybe you have a minute and you reflect on it. The point I [eventually] get across is that it doesn’t matter and maybe in the past I would’ve looked at it [judgmentally], but I wouldn’t do that anymore. I made it clear that I don’t want to sound judgmental. It was important that that point get across [and] not what I said initially.”
She concluded, “It was a flippant comment that I was just talking with friends and then I retracted it. Even talking about it now, I’m like, ‘I don’t actually believe that.’ That’s why I think it’s important to stand up for it and clarify.”
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