Whoopi Goldberg is proudly single and is embracing a more carefree approach to her sex life. The EGOT winner is enjoying casual relationships and the freedom that comes with being independent, offering a candid glimpse into how she approaches her sexual needs on her own terms.
Whoopi Goldberg On Being Single And Hooking Up
On the March 18 episode of “The View,” one of the topics the panel discussed was a Cosmopolitan article where the writer, who was happily married, wrote about fantasizing about being single, including bar-hopping and having flings. Goldberg then asked a question to her fellow hosts: “Is fantasizing about being single normal?”
Joy Behar then asked the EGOT winner whether she missed those days. Goldberg said that she was single. Behar said that she knew that before confirming, “But you don’t go bar hopping or do any of that stuff, right?” Goldberg said that wasn’t the case, telling her co-hosts that she does bar hop and “hang.”
“I do hit-and-runs when I need it,” she explained, which was met by hoots and applause from the audience. Goldberg continued that she does that because she isn’t married and doesn’t have responsibilities to a partner, unlike her co-hosts.
Whoopi Goldberg Has Only Been In Love Once
In an interview with The New York Times in 2016, Goldberg shared her thoughts on being single, saying that she prefers it over being with a partner. As the interviewer noted, the actress had previously said she had only been in love one time in her life, and she was asked whether it was because she had a “higher bar” than others.
Goldberg said that she thinks it’s because she’s just “not that interested,” adding that she lives a much happier life being by herself. “I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone. I don’t want somebody in my house,” she explained.
The actress said that despite being married before, she always felt that way. “I’m the round peg, and marriage is the square hole. You can’t have a square hole, can you?” she said.
The Host Said She’s Not Good At Relationships
In a 2025 conversation with Interview Magazine, Goldberg shared that in the last 25 years of her life, she has come to realize that being in a relationship is not for everyone, adding that for some, one-night stands are the better option.
“I’m not good at relationships,” the actress added, explaining that she has people in her life that she loves, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she wants them in her home, since that means an additional person to think about. “I have enough to think about with my daughter and her husband and my grandkids and my great-grandkids and all the people at work,” she noted.
Moreover, Goldberg said that she might be alone, but she wasn’t lonely, stressing the difference between the two. The actress enjoys her solitude and doesn’t want to have to worry about someone else.
The Actress Has Been Married Three Times
Goldberg had been married three times, but has been single for years. Her first husband was Alvin Martin, whom the actress married in 1973 when she was just 18 years old. The couple had a child together, a daughter named Alex, before they divorced in 1979.
In 1986, Goldberg and cinematographer David Claessen tied the knot but divorced just two years later. Her third husband was Lyle Trachtenberg, whom she married in 1994. The couple called it quits a year later.
In a 2024 episode of The View, where they discussed their exes for National Text Your Ex Day, Goldberg revealed that she still communicated with her exes. “I’m in touch with every one of them, because once they were my friends. It doesn’t mean that we talk all the time, but I will be respectful enough for you,” she stated.
Whoopi Goldberg’s Book About Relationships
In 2015, Goldberg released a book about her thoughts on relationships titled “If Someone Says ‘You Complete Me,’ RUN!: Whoopi’s Big Book of Relationships.”
The book discusses false expectations about relationships depicted in the media, and Goldberg urges her readers to have a fulfilling life without relying on a partner. The chapters focus on various themes, including deconstructing Hollywood romance, advocating for oneself, and relationship checklists.
Goldberg also included an advice segment, which contains relationship questions she has received from fans, as well as her explanation as to why she prefers casual hook-ups over being married.