A Staten Island bakery has responded to Whoopi Goldberg’s recent claim that they refused to fulfill her birthday dessert order due to her political views, stating that equipment issues were the actual reason behind the delay.
Jill Holtermann, owner of Holtermann’s Bakery, a 145-year-old establishment known for its Charlotte Russe desserts, addressed Goldberg’s comments made during the November 13 episode of The View. Goldberg, who was celebrating her 69th birthday, suggested that the bakery initially turned down her order because of her left-leaning political stance, although she did not name the business.
During the episode, Goldberg shared with her co-hosts that her birthday dessert, a traditional treat called Charlotte Russe, was a favorite of her mother. She noted that the bakery had initially claimed their ovens were out of service, but speculated that political disagreements might have played a role in the refusal. “They said that their ovens had gone down, but folks went and got them anyway,” Goldberg said, adding, “perhaps they did not like my politics.”
However, Holtermann, who has run the bakery for several years, clarified that the refusal had nothing to do with Goldberg’s political beliefs. According to Holtermann, Goldberg’s request for the desserts was made two weeks in advance, for both the November 6 and November 13 appearances on The View. The bakery was dealing with ongoing issues with its boilers at the time, making it uncertain whether they could fulfill the order.
“We were having trouble with our boilers,” Holtermann explained. “I told her, ‘I can’t do it right now.’ The building is almost 100 years old, and sometimes equipment just fails. I didn’t want to make a commitment I couldn’t keep.” She emphasized that this issue was unrelated to Goldberg’s political views.
Holtermann also confirmed that an unnamed woman picked up the Charlotte Russe desserts from the bakery early on November 13, around 7:30 a.m. ET, after the bakery had managed to resolve its equipment problems. Holtermann stated that she was unaware of the woman’s connection to The View or Goldberg.
Despite the initial uncertainty surrounding the order, Holtermann denied any political motivation behind the delay. “It was not because of political affiliations,” she asserted, adding that the age and condition of the building sometimes posed challenges in fulfilling special requests.
In a lighthearted moment during the show, Goldberg shared the Charlotte Russe treats with her co-hosts, acknowledging their significance as a family tradition. “Charlotte Russe has no political leanings,” she said, before joking, “It’s not… because I’m a woman, but perhaps they did not like my politics. But, that’s okay.” Goldberg ended the segment by thanking her co-hosts and the viewers for joining her in celebrating her birthday.
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