Whoopi Goldberg‘s recent experience with a bakery was anything but sweet. On a recent episode of The View, the co-host celebrated her 69th birthday with a Charlotte Russe cake, a favorite treat of her late mother.
The tastiness of the dessert, however, was overshadowed by Goldberg’s experience with the bakery that made it.
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“Charlotte Russe has no political leanings, and the place that made these refused to make them for me,” Goldberg claimed. “They said their ovens and gone down and all types of stuff, but folks went and got them anyway, which is why I’m not telling you who made them.”
Goldberg, an outspoken Democrat, decided that the bakery’s alleged behavior couldn’t be “because I’m a woman.” She instead speculated that it was because “they did not like my politics.”
Goldberg did not name the bakery in question. However, viewers figured out it was Staten Island’s Holtermann’s Bakery based on the packaging of the sweet treat.
Holtermann’s Bakery Denies Whoopi Goldberg’s Claims
In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Jill Holtermann confirmed that her bakery was the one Goldberg alluded to. The small business owner, however, denied the TV personality’s claims, insisting “it was not because of political” affiliations.
Instead, Holtermann claimed she denied Goldberg’s order because “trouble with our boilers.” The issue made her wary of making “a commitment that I can’t carry through.”
“I said to Whoopi, ‘I can’t do it right now. We have so many things going on with my boiler,’” she told the outlet. “The building is from 1930, so, when she called me, I had no idea [if we could] be baking everything.”
Holtermann was able to fulfill the order, though. She told the outlet said that a woman picked up the treats from the shop ahead of the episode, and claimed that she was unaware of that woman’s political affiliations.
Goldberg spoke out about the situation on Instagram, noting that she was not the one who had named the bakery.
“It does seem a little odd that when we called a few weeks before my birthday, we were told they couldn’t process the order for my birthday because of an equipment failure,” Goldberg said. “Somehow, they were able to accept an order of a different 48 of the same dessert when somebody else called without using my name. But it’s all OK, y’all, because I enjoyed my delicious dessert, and I had a happy, sweet birthday. Nothing better than that.”
The Fallout From the Controversy
The bakery experienced a flood of support in the wake of the controversy, and proceeded to make a series of statements on Instagram.
“For 146 years, our small family bakery has been a labor of love, and your kindness reminds us why we do what we do,” one post read. “Here’s to preserving traditions, sharing sweetness, and the power of community.”
In a follow up post, the bakery said its phones were “ringing off the hook,” before encouraging people to visit the “old-fashioned mom-and-pop shop” in person.
The bakery opted to close its doors on Monday to replenish its supply of baked goods for the week ahead. The shop also launched a merch line in response to the publicity.
In addition to an influx of customers, the bakery has gotten support from politicians. During a press conference attended by several prominent Republicans, Staten Island borough president Republican Vito Fossella said that Goldberg should “just say you’re sorry” after she “besmirched and defamed” the shop.
