When Disney announced sweeping layoffs across its entertainment division this week, few were surprised. Ratings are down. Budgets are tight. Viewers are tuning out. But what no one expected was what came after:

A tense meeting. A list of names.
And one name, in particular, that made executives shift in their seats:
Whoopi Goldberg.

Sources inside Disney confirm that hundreds of positions were eliminated in a single sweep — production staff, writers, mid-level execs — all gone. But unlike past rounds, this wasn’t just about cutting fat. It was about redefining survival in a media landscape that’s rapidly collapsing.

Internal polls show deep losses in viewer trust.
Flagship shows, once guaranteed hits, are now liabilities.

And one show sits at the epicenter of that concern: The View

Executives reportedly gathered late Wednesday evening in a closed-door strategy call — no press, no leaks. But one insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed this chilling quote from a senior VP:

“We can’t keep defending talent that’s driving people away.”

That “talent,” sources say, referred directly to Whoopi Goldberg.

The atmosphere following the call?
“Cold. Clinical. Like the decisions had already been made — they just needed a date.”

Goldberg, a longtime staple of The View, has faced increasing backlash in recent months — not for what she said once, but for the pattern:

Polarizing comments.

Public feuds.

On-air gaffes that made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

While loyal fans defend her candor, internal reports show her favorability among key audience demographics has dropped by nearly 38% since last year.

And in an era where viewership equals survival, that matters.