Whoopi Goldberg passionately defends Malia Obama’s chosen stage name
Whoopi Goldberg is expressing her support for Malia Obama.
The oldest daughter of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama is choosing to go by Malia Ann in her latest project The Heart, which has stirred some controversy.
During the Feb. 21 episode of The View, Whoopi addressed the online criticism Malia has received for this decision, stating, “claiming everyone knows she’s an Obama, so it’s pointless to hide it.”
Whoopi pointed out that Malia is not the first person to change her name in Hollywood, citing her own experience changing her name from Caryn Elaine Johnson as her career took off.
She defended Malia’s right to choose her own name, stating, “If she knows she’s an Obama, why do you care? Why do you care what she calls herself? If she wanted to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has the right to! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever the hell she wants to be!”