NEWSEverything To Know About Whoopi Goldberg's Love Life
Nov. 25 2022, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Best known for her EGOT-winner status and her fast quips as cohost and panel moderator on The View, Whoopi Goldberg has managed to keep her romantic life largely out of the public eye.
From her marriages to her current stance on dating, here’s everything to know about Goldberg’s approach to romance.
Goldberg's Marriage To Alvin Martin
Goldberg first said “I do” to former husband, her substance abuse counselor Alvin Martin, at just 18 years old. The actress welcomed her first and only child, daughter Alex Martin, shortly after walking down the aisle.
The pair ultimately split in 1979 following a six-year romance Goldberg said came complete with financial hardships.
“I remember we had the one room space and we slept in the bed together,” the star remembered of her life with her first husband. “I remember when we wanted to travel we would drive across the country in broke down bugs. We didn’t have the money to go to the movies."
Goldberg's Marriage To David Claessen
After her split from Martin, Goldberg took her time to move on, tying the knot with Dutch cinematographer, David Claessen in 1986.
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While not much is known about the details of their ‘80s romance — the Cinderella legend has largely remained tight-lipped surrounding her former flame — their love didn’t last long, with the the pair ultimately calling it quits in 1988.
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Goldberg's Marriage To Lyle Trachtenberg
Following her marriage to Claessen, Goldberg wed actor Lyle Trachtenberg in 1994. Their marriage only lasted a year, a split Goldberg chalked up to her not being ready for that type of commitment.
“It took me some time but I realized that trying to turn myself into something I wasn’t ready for, for a man, wasn’t his fault. It was mine,” she told the New York Times in 2019. “My marriages failed and I was the common denominator. My commitment was never that strong. I can say now that I was never really in love.”
Goldberg's Current Views On Romance
Following her trio of marriages, Goldberg has appeared to embrace single life, telling the New York Times that she was “much happier on my own” rather than in a long-term romance.
“I can spend as much time with somebody as I want to spend, but I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone” the star quipped to the newspaper back in 2019. “I don’t want somebody in my house.”
While it seems Goldberg has slightly opened up her romantic prospects since then, the star appears to have one rigid rule — no younger men, a sentiment she says stems from an awkward Beatles-related mixup.
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“Let me tell you why I stopped doing lots of things with younger folks,” the Sister Act icon explained during a recent installment of The View. “I went out with a younger dude and he said, ‘I can’t believe this.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘I did not know that Paul McCartney had another band.’ And you kind of go, ‘The Beatles? You’ve never heard of The Beatles?’ ‘No!’”
“So you have to know when you’re going younger, there’s a lot of information that you have to impart,” the TV maven explained. “And sometimes it’s tiring. But then there’s the other way where you’re like, ‘Yeah, you’re younger, but you look good! Yeah, you’re alright.’ So you never know.”
