Whoopi Goldberg is still baffled by the colossal backlash to her choice of dress in 1993.
The EGOT winner famously arrived at the Oscars red carpet that year in a purple and lime green jumpsuit with a bolero-style jacket and an open-front skirt. Goldberg was universally panned by publications at the time and plastered on “worst dressed” lists.
The “View” host recalled as much at Tuesday’s Fashion Group International Night of Style.
“It hurt my feelings, I’m not going to lie,” she told Page Six at the gala. “It hurt my feelings. It kept me from dressing up for a very long time. You have to remember, in those days, they would say things and you’d think, ‘Do I really look that ridiculous?’”
Goldberg was already a huge star at that point.
The actor was nominated in 1985 for Best Actress for her role in Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple” and won the award for “Ghost” in the Best Supporting Actress category in 1991. She had already won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 1986.
Goldberg, who was presented the American Icon Award at Tuesday’s fashion gala, told Page Six her infamous red carpet appearance was inspired by “I Love Lucy” and the countless flamboyant outfits Lucille Ball had worn on the iconic, long-running series.
“Lucy would always come out in these great ensembles,” she told Page Six. “And I thought, I would like to wear that! And green is not a color I would normally wear; let me try it!”
That decision not only led to criticism in 1993 but nearly two decades later — in 2011, Goldberg was included in Time magazine’s “25 Best and Worst Oscar Gowns of All-TIME” list.
“Here’s what Whoopi Goldberg decided to wear to the 1993 Academy Awards: a purple and green jumpsuit … It wouldn’t be our first choice if we were invited to the Oscars,” the Time slideshow reads. “In fact, we’re not even sure it’d be our first choice for a date at the circus.”
When asked Tuesday by Page Six if she still stands by the Oscars look, Goldberg responded bluntly: “Absolutely.”
The “Sister Act” star has since launched her own clothing line — and learned to defend her style choices after being slammed for re-wearing a jacket.
“People are kvetching at me about the fact that I still am wearing this red and black check thing,” she reportedly said on “The View” in 2020 about her buffalo plaid jacket. “People say I wear it too much. Look at me. Do I care? No. ’Cause I’m comfortable in this bad boy!”