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Whoopi Goldberg walked the red carpet at the 97th Annual Oscars held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 2. The actress wore a futuristic, shiny, navy blue gown with an elaborate boxy neck and accentuated the look with silver jewelry. She was interviewed alongside Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who is nominated for her role as Elphaba.
Though Goldberg isn’t nominated for an Oscar this year, she has been tapped as a presenter alongside Oprah Winfrey. The two women were on-hand on Saturday, March 1 to rehearse for the show. According to the Associated Press, the two received a standing ovation from those in attendance, mainly made up of production staff.
US actress Whoopi Goldberg attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. US actress Whoopi Goldberg attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
Goldberg previously hosted the Oscars in 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2002. Her appearance at the 2025 Oscars comes a couple of weeks after she missed three consecutive days on The View due to illness.
“Unfortunately, I know you’ll be unhappy, Whoopi is not here with us,” Goldberg’s co-star Joy Behar said to open the show on Wednesday, February 19. The next day, Behar shared that her co-star was sick with the flu.
“Whoopi is still out with the flu. It’s going around, be careful. We hope you’re feeling better, Whoopi. Come back soon,” she said. Goldberg returned to the show on Monday, February 24.
Whoopi Goldberg attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Whoopi Goldberg attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Goldberg, who won the award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost in 1991, hasn’t appeared at the awards show in nearly a decade. The last time she was presented an award was at the 88th Oscars in 2016.
There is a great deal of speculation surrounding Goldberg’s return to the Oscars stage, with many wondering if she will hand over the Oscar for Best Actress to her Ghost co-star Demi Moore, who is nominated for her role as Elisabeth in the 2024 film The Substance. This would be the first win for Moore, 62.
