Whoopi Goldberg Embraces Growing Old With Aging Hair: ‘I Don’t Mind The Gray’

Jan 13, 2023

Whoopi Goldberg is a renowned actress, comedian, author and television personality. The star was born on Nov. 13, 1955, in New York City, New York, with the name Caryn Elaine Johnson. She started her career when she was quite young, embarking on the stage back in 1983 with a one-woman show that was later on Broadway. It ran until 1985 and earned Goldberg a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the show’s recording.

It wasn’t surprising to see Goldberg transition to film. She has starred in many movies, including “The Color Purple,” which earned her a Golden Globe. She is also known for her role in the star-studded romantic fantasy film “Ghost,” which also featured Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze. Of course, though, Goldberg’s comedy is what has made her so legendary, and her reprising role in the comedies “Sister Act” and “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” helped her become one of the highest-paid actresses at the time.

The entertainer, who is also a mother and grandmother, is also known for being a talk show host as she is one of the co-hosts on “The View.” As part of her job, Goldberg expresses herself on a variety of topics of conversation, including pop culture, celebrity gossip and even her own experiences.

Outside of her many jobs, Goldberg has also been interviewed, allowing her to share her opinions even more. It seems like Goldberg has joined the many female celebrities who are embracing the aging process. As a woman in her late 60s, she is proud to flaunt her gray hair and has joked about the ups and downs that come with growing older.

Over the years, Goldberg has never shied away from speaking her mind. In an interview with The New York Times, she opened up about why she prefers to remain unmarried.

“I’m much happier on my own. 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.”

She went on to say that she’s not interested in marriage, and added, “I don’t want somebody in my house.” Goldberg was married three times, starting with her marriage to Alvin Martin, which lasted six years. The pair also share a daughter. However, Goldberg went on to marry two more times before calling it quits in 1995.

“I’d be thinking, why don’t I feel the thing that I’m supposed to? Then one day I thought: I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to conform. I tried marriage, and it wasn’t for me. You can’t be in a marriage because everybody’s expecting you to,” Goldberg told the magazine.

In 2014, she told the Oprah Winfrey Network that she believed she was "not a good marrying person.”

Marriage isn’t the only thing that doesn’t seem to be in Goldberg’s future. Speaking with Piers Morgan for CNN in 2011, the entertainer talked about regrets and her fear of flying. “I only really have one really major regret,” she said. “And it was I had the opportunity to spend a birthday with Sammy Davis Jr. and I didn’t.” She elaborated: 

“I was young and dumb and – and he passed like a couple of weeks later. And it devastated me because I thought, you know what, that’s what you get. I just remember that he had been so good to me. And we were really, you know, good friends…”

The actress also shared that she is afraid of flying, which first started after she witnessed a mid-air collision from her balcony. The moment has since stayed in her mind, “because I’m a visualist,” she explained. “So if I see it, it lives in my brain. So I always see it.”

Despite her fears and regrets, Goldberg has shown to have an optimistic outlook on life. She once joked, “Every time I try to avoid becoming a lil’ old lady, I realize I’m getting closer to being a lil’ old lady.” She revealed that one of the first signs of realizing this was that she has “swollen” feet.

While some people have criticized the actress for her age, others have shown their appreciation for Goldberg’s outlook on aging. One person said, “Age is just a number.. you are as old as you feel at this second.”

While appearing on “The View,” Goldberg flaunted her gray hair while the women discussed the double standard men and women face when it comes to aging naturally. She said she was growing out her gray hair, and added, “I don’t mind the gray.” In fact, Goldberg said it helped “soften up” other features.

Speaking with Insider, Goldberg shared: “My stuff's going to sag and fall and I will be fine. My chest is gonna do what it does. I can age the way I age."

Goldberg has clearly embraced the aging process as she released a self-help book called “Two Old Broads,” with the help of co-author M.E. Hecht. The book is described as telling “it like it is for all of us who left middle age in the dust and want to be present, positive, and as extraordinary as ever in our golden years.”

What do you think about Whoopi Goldberg joking about the process of aging naturally? Are you inspired by her optimistic outlook? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.