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Whoopi Goldberg has once again heeded parents against befriending their children.
The View co-host, a mother of one, told viewers Jan. 25 that being a parent and a child’s friend were two roles that shouldn’t mix. When co-host Joy Behar asked if Whoopi thought the parent-child boundaries could ease in the offspring’s adulthood, the 68-year-old EGOT highlighted that she and her daughter, Alex Martin, 50, maintain a close relationship.
“You can yell at me if you want to, but I believe this is true. You cannot be friends with your kids,” Whoopi firmly declared.
The Color Purple star has previously expressed her strong opinions on parenting. She reiterated that parents and children can be friends once the kiddos are independent. She’s noted that kids need tough love and someone experienced to guide them.
In September 2023, Whoopi advised co-host Sunny Hostin not to overthink or lessen her parent-child boundaries.
“You will find that you have to become friends with your children, but only after they pass the point where they have to take care of themselves. That is important,” the actress stated.
“I’m telling you because all of my grandkids are past that point, so we can hang out, we can be friends and all that. [My great-granddaughter] Charlie, who’s only nine, that’s not my friend!” Whoopi added.
“Quit trying to be friends with your kids,” the Hollywood vet told viewers in 2015. “My daughter and I are friends, but what I realized is I still had to be the bad guy because that’s my job. That was my mom’s job… Once you then become that adult, you have to look out for your child the way your mom, God willing, looked out for you.”
Whoopi welcomed Alex with Alvin Martin, to whom she was married from 1973 to 1979.
In a May 2016 episode of The View, the actress lovingly highlighted her and her daughter’s friendship.
“My best, best, best friend — my daughter,” Whoopi said while introducing Alex to the show. “She is one of the most trustworthy and loyal people I know.”
“She is somebody who makes me laugh, like ‘bwuaha’ laugh,” the mother of one added. “We can talk to each other any time during the day or night. I just like her a lot.”
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