‘The View’ Apologizes To Whoopi Goldberg For Going Down Kate Middleton Rabbit Hole Despite Her Warnings: “We Should’ve Listened”

Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro opened up this morning’s episode of The View by apologizing to Whoopi Goldberg, who previously tried (and failed) to shut down their speculation about Kate Middleton‘s whereabouts.

Before the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis on Friday (March 22), the co-hosts joined the rest of the world in feeding into conspiracy theories about her absence from the public eye. The only person who attempted to stop them was Goldberg, who vehemently defended Middleton during the Hot Topics segments.

But now that they know the real reason behind the royal’s disappearance — that she has been in the early stages of chemotherapy and waiting for the proper time to tell her three young children — the ladies have apologized to Goldberg.

“I felt awful. Whoopi was right. I’m guilty of having gotten into the fun of where’s Kate and thinking it’s funny and sharing the memes and playing into that,” Griffin said, before Navarro added, “For me, it was a learning moment, a teachable moment. The lesson I learned was: when Whoopi Goldberg tells me to mind my own damn business, I will mind my own damn business from now on.”

Hostin also jumped in to share her apology, but not before blaming Haines and Griffin for dragging her down the rabbit hole.

“I went down this rabbit hole thank you to my co-hosts and to myself,” she said. “I also have to take blame for that because I also didn’t listen to Whoopi Goldberg, who told me to stop. And I didn’t. And so here I am.”

Navarro then turned to Goldberg and added, “You’re the voice of wisdom on this. You’re an internationally recognized star and you know what it’s like to be discussed and speculated about.”

When Hostin doubled down that they “should’ve listened” to her, Goldberg replied, “Well, maybe you will next time. I don’t put any money on it.”

The EGOT recipient went on to explain exactly why she tried to stifle the conversation in the first place.

“I don’t want people to misunderstand y’all,” she said. “I don’t want them thinking that you’re making fun of somebody because they’re ill. Because that’s what folks will say. But that was never the intention so I always hope, if I hear something, that I can help make us better.”

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.