New York City politicians are urging Whoopi Goldberg to issue an apology after she suggested that a local bakery had refused to make her birthday desserts because of her political views. The controversy began after the comedian and co-host of ABC’s The View claimed that Holtermann’s Bakery on Staten Island had declined her order for Charlotte Russe desserts, citing an issue with her political beliefs rather than a technical problem. Local leaders and supporters of the bakery, including Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, have rallied to defend the long-established bakery, calling Goldberg’s remarks damaging and misleading.
During a press conference on Friday in front of the bakery, Fossella, a Republican, demanded Goldberg take responsibility for what he called “besmirching and defaming” the business. He accused her of fabricating the situation to fit her narrative and pointed out that a professional baker should never let political views interfere with customer service. “Not everyone wakes up thinking about politics,” Fossella said. “A good businessperson doesn’t care about anyone’s politics.”The bakery’s owner, Jill Holtermann, also addressed the media, expressing her gratitude for the overwhelming support from customers who flooded the bakery with orders following the controversy.
Holtermann, who took over the family-owned business, described how the bakery’s staff had been overwhelmed by the influx of new business. She reflected on the hard work her family has put into keeping the bakery alive and mentioned that she wished her late father could have seen the outpouring of support. “I know how hard my family has worked to keep this business alive,” she said emotionally.
Holtermann also clarified the situation surrounding Goldberg’s order. According to the bakery owner, the delay was not due to any political disagreements but because of a malfunctioning boiler that had caused a disruption in operations. The bakery, which has been a staple of Staten Island for 145 years, was not in a position to fulfill a large order at the time. Holtermann confirmed that the bakery had indeed told Goldberg that they could not complete her request due to the technical issues, but that it was purely a matter of logistics rather than political bias.
Goldberg’s comments on The View had initially sparked the debate when she shared her experience of trying to obtain Charlotte Russe desserts for her 69th birthday. The dessert, a traditional treat of sponge cake topped with whipped cream and a cherry, was a favorite of her late mother. While enjoying the dessert on air with her co-hosts, Goldberg mentioned that the bakery had refused her order, citing an equipment malfunction. However, she added that she suspected the refusal was not about the bakery’s equipment but rather about her political beliefs.“Now, I should tell you, Charlotte Russe has no political leanings, and the place that made these refused to make them for me,” Goldberg said.
“They said that their ovens had gone down, but folks went and got them anyway, which is why I’m not telling you who made them.” She added, “It’s not because I’m a woman, but perhaps they did not like my politics.”
The controversy did not end there. Goldberg later took to Instagram to reiterate her belief that there was something suspicious about the bakery’s refusal to fulfill her order while they had no trouble processing an order from someone else. “It does seem a little odd that when we called a few weeks before my birthday and we were told they couldn’t process the order for my birthday because of an equipment failure,” Goldberg said in a video posted online. “But somehow they were able to accept an order of a different 48 of the same dessert when somebody else called without using my name.”
Despite the ongoing dispute, Goldberg ended the video on a positive note, stating that the controversy did not ruin her birthday celebration. “It’s all okay, y’all, because I enjoyed my delicious dessert and I had a happy, sweet birthday,” she concluded.
Representatives for Goldberg did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Holtermann’s Bakery has received an outpouring of support, with many locals stepping up to defend the establishment and its reputation. As the story unfolds, the focus has now shifted to whether Goldberg will offer an apology to the bakery and its loyal customers. For now, the bakery continues to serve the community, its doors open and its ovens running, ready to bake for all, regardless of political affiliation.
