Whoopi Goldberg is challenging anyone brave enough to make a biopic about her life and career after her inevitable passing. The EGOT winner recently claimed that in her will there are stipulations surrounding any future effort to tell her story.
The Academy Award-winning actress shared the interesting tidbit during a recent episode of “The View” during a discussion about Andrew Dominik’s controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic “Blonde” when co-host Sunny Hostin said, “It sounds macabre, but I was speaking to Whoopi, and I was saying that she’s such a famous person that when she passes away, people are going to make films.”
However, the “Ghost” star quickly fired back, “Actually, they’re not. They’re not going to make films because in my will it says, ‘Unless you speak to my family, try it.’ Try it.”
According to the 67-year-old veteran comedian, there are strict requests in her will that prevent anyone from creating unauthorized projects about her life’s work without her family’s approval, including her daughter Alexandrea Martin, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
While the details of the “Sister Act” star’s arrangement weren’t made public, it’s well known that legally anyone is entitled to create “unauthorized stories” about another person.
A similar incident occurred with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss whose friendship with television CEO Carlos King was damaged after the show’s former executive producer reportedly went behind the singer’s back to pitch and sell Xscape’s life story to the television company TV One.
The legendary singer claimed that King’s producing partner got in contact with her mother, affectionately named Mama Joyce, in an attempt to receive additional information about the ’90s R&B group for the film. King’s movie was ultimately scrapped, but it’s unclear if his relationship with the singer remained intact.
Despite Goldberg’s firm stance on a biopic about herself, the Hollywood veteran recently starred in Emmett Till biopic “Till” as Alma Carthan, the mother of Mamie Till. The movie is based on the life of Emmett and his mother’s fight for justice following his lynching in rural Mississippi in 1955.