The situation has drawn comparisons because of the contrast in the messages.

In 2018, Whoopi Goldberg challenged Mo’Nique over her fight with Netflix, arguing that while it’s fair to negotiate for more money, Hollywood is a business and strategy matters. Many felt Whoopi was unsympathetic to Mo’Nique’s complaints about pay and treatment.

Today, Whoopi is widely reported as one of the highest-paid personalities in daytime TV, with some estimates putting her View salary at $5–8 million a year.

But in a new interview with Keke Palmer, Whoopi pushed back on that narrative. “The truth of the matter is, very few of us are actually making the kind of money you’re reading about,” she said, dismissing the “wink-wink” assumption that she’s secretly banking huge sums. She added that if she really had that kind of money, she’s not sure she’d still be doing the show — “but a girl’s gotta eat, and you know I never married well.”

She’s said similar things before, telling Entertainment Tonight last year that she can’t afford to retire: “If you don’t marry well, you’ve got to keep working. I’ve got to keep paying those bills, baby.”

Because of that, some see an irony: Whoopi was skeptical when Mo’Nique fought publicly for higher pay, yet now suggests she herself isn’t as financially secure as assumed. Supporters would argue these are different situations — Whoopi has consistently said there’s nothing wrong with negotiating for more money, but she disagreed with Mo’Nique’s approach to handling the dispute publicly.

The situation has drawn comparisons because of the contrast in the messages.