“The View” cohosts scold Madonna haters amid ageist VMAs backlash: ‘How dare you’
“The View” cohosts scold Madonna haters amid ageist VMAs backlash: ‘How dare you’
Joey NolfiMon, September 28, 2026 at 4:48 PM UTC
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Whoopi Goldberg on ‘The View’; Madonna at 2026 MTV VMAsCredit: ABC; Francis Specker/CBSKey Points -
The View cohosts defended Madonna’s MTV VMAs performance amid ageist backlash to the 68-year-old’s set.
Whoopi Goldberg also defended A Different World star Jasmine Guy, who recently spoke out about ageism in Hollywood.
“How dare you shame someone for trying to age well,” Sunny Hostin said.
Madonna’s music makes the people — including the cohosts of The View— come together to speak out on ageism in the entertainment industry.
The morning after the 68-year-old made her grand return to the MTV VMAs on Sunday night, with her first performance at the annual event in 23 years, moderator Whoopi Goldberg scolded the Queen of Pop’s ageist haters.
“These women are gorgeous,” Goldberg, 70, said at the top of the talk show’s Monday broadcast, referencing both Madonna and Jasmine Guy. The 64-year-old A Different World actress also recently spoke out against people’s expectations for women of a certain age in Hollywood and beyond.
Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna at 2026 MTV VMAsCredit: Francis Specker/CBS
“It shows how there’s just no win for women. Madonna’s being criticized for being too overtly sexual and trying to look too young, and Jasmine is being criticized for trying to age gracefully,” said 38-year-old conservative cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin. “You can’t win no matter which direction you take.”
Panelist Sara Haines, 49, said that “the types of people that are going to go on there and rage post are not the ones in a good mental state.” Meanwhile, 54-year-old Ana Navarro said that after witnessing a recent performance by Ricky Martin, who’s “four days older than her,” she realized that even she falls victim to comparing herself to others.
“Then I see all this stuff on Madonna, I’m like, okay, leave women alone. It’s hard. We are in menopause,” Navarro said.
Finally, 57-year-old legal expert and former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin condemned those who speak out against people like Madonna and Guy.
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“What’s so sad about all of this that’s going on with women and aging is, what is the alternative?” Hostin asked. “I can’t begin to tell you how many emails I get, almost on a monthly basis, about someone being widowed in my age group, someone having a stroke, someone having a heart attack.”
She continued: “How dare you shame someone for trying to age well and beautifully and just live. We need to realize what a blessing it is to be able to get to be that age.”
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter win Best Collaboration at 2026 MTV VMAsCredit: Francis Specker/CBS
Madonna kicked off Sunday’s VMAs with her first performance at the event since 2003, when she famously kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage during the live broadcast.
Over 40 years into her career, the Confessions II singer-songwriter led the evening as the most-nominated artist of the night, with 13 overall nods.
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Though Taylor Swift ultimately won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Madonna earned three awards during the main broadcast alone, including Best Collaboration (for her Sabrina Carpenter duet, “Bring Your Love”), Best Dance, and Artist of the Year.
Madonna’s performance, including renditions of Confessions II cuts “Bring Your Love” and “Danceteria,” welcomed a host of A-list guest stars, including Carpenter, Charli XCX (who’s featured on a new “Danceteria” remix), Sombr, Seth Rogen, Madonna’s longtime friend Debi Mazar, and Julia Garner — the would-be star of the long-delayed Madge biopic.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
