LOS ANGELES — Just when the dust seemed to be settling after Whoopi Goldberg’s incendiary on-air comment about preferring life in Iran to being Black in America, a new bombshell has detonated inside ABC headquarters.

Manila Bulletin has obtained a series of explosive leaked internal emails from senior ABC executives — and they reveal a shocking twist: Goldberg had issued a thinly veiled threat to walk away from The View weeks before the scandal broke, unless she was granted “full freedom to express her unfiltered truths.”

The Smoking Gun: “Let Me Speak or I’m Out”

In an email dated June 14, 2025, sent from Goldberg’s personal assistant to ABC’s senior programming director, the message reads:

“Whoopi feels creatively stifled. She believes her commentary is being watered down to make others comfortable. If ABC won’t let her speak freely, she will be forced to explore ‘other platforms’ that respect her voice.”

Another email, this time from a panicked ABC PR executive, reads:

“This isn’t just diva talk. She’s serious. If she walks, we lose the last ratings anchor we have.”

Inside ABC: “We Created a Monster”

A former The View producer, speaking anonymously, told Manila Bulletin:

“They gave her too much control. After her 2022 suspension over Holocaust remarks, ABC promised they’d ‘never censor her again’ just to keep her from leaving. It was a deal with the devil.”

He added:

“She knew she had them by the neck. Every time she dropped a hot take, she’d say, ‘Try firing me now.’”

Executives Scramble, Staff Revolts

According to the leaked internal Slack logs obtained by Manila Bulletin, several The View staff members expressed concern weeks in advance of Goldberg’s controversial statement.

One assistant producer wrote in a flagged chat thread:

“She’s been workshopping that Iran comment all week. We begged her not to say it. She laughed.”

Another production note dated two days before the episode reads:

“Do NOT prompt Whoopi on international topics. PR team is on edge.”

Despite multiple internal warnings, no action was taken. Why? The leaked emails suggest ABC was terrified of triggering a public meltdown.

Iranian Embassy Responds — In Total Disbelief

Adding to the circus, the Iranian Embassy in New York issued a rare public statement, sarcastically thanking Goldberg for her “faith in the Iranian system,” but suggested she should “perhaps try wearing a hijab in Tehran before forming conclusions.”

The statement concluded:

“Iran is not available for comparison. Nor is it open for tourism recommendations from Hollywood personalities.”

Crisis Escalates: Netflix Pulls Project, Oprah Distances Herself

In yet another blow, Netflix officially pulled the plug on a docu-series Goldberg had been developing about “global struggles for justice.” Internal sources cite “optics risk” as the primary reason.

Even longtime friend Oprah Winfrey — who had remained quiet until now — subtly distanced herself in a new interview:

“Free speech is important. So is responsibility. That’s all I’ll say.”

Translation: Oprah is OUT.

What’s Next: Forced Apology… or Total Collapse?

ABC is now cornered. Staff morale is at an all-time low. Advertisers are demanding a decision. And Whoopi? She’s reportedly refusing to back down, calling this “a witch hunt against truth-tellers.”

But behind closed doors, executives are bracing for a nuclear option:

Firing her mid-season — and facing the legal and cultural fallout.