Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal shared a deeply emotional moment on The View, touching fans worldwide. The When Harry Met Sally… actor appeared on the show on October 23 to discuss his recent Kennedy Center honor, a tribute to his lifetime of contributions to entertainment.
Reflecting on the recognition, Billy, 76, explained, “It meant a tremendous amount. When you’re chosen for your work, it’s not a competition… I was incredibly honored.” He described the surprise of seeing friends like Rob Reiner, Robert De Niro, and Marc Shaiman present at the ceremony, but it was Whoopi’s presence that left a profound impact on him. “When Whoopi walked out, it just sealed the deal for me,” he shared.
The show aired a clip from the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2023, where Whoopi gave a moving speech celebrating her friend. She referenced “the person who also should be standing here with me, our brother Robin [Williams],” gesturing to the stage as if Robin were there beside her. In a heartfelt address, she told Billy, “You are my family, you’re my big brother, and you have no idea what an honor it is to see you get your due. I love you. You’re a mensch. You’re a national treasure.”
The trio of Williams, Crystal, and Goldberg had a long-standing friendship, strengthened by their work together on the Comic Relief charity specials. Williams’ death by suicide in 2014 left a void, and his memory remains present for his friends. On The View, Billy opened up about the impact of Whoopi’s gesture at the Kennedy Center, saying, “When you came out and put your arm out like we did after he left us, that just made it all so personal.” He added, “He was on my mind from the time we got to Washington… the first time we went for Comic Relief back in ’86, it was very special stuff.”
The two friends, visibly moved, shared memories of Williams and the enduring connection they feel to him. For Billy, the Kennedy Center honor was especially poignant. Last year, he reflected on Williams with reporters, saying, “I’m really feeling I’m missing my friend Robin tonight… because of all of what we did together. I know he would be here, and he is. So it’s special, and a lot of feelings for me tonight.”
Billy’s 2014 Emmy tribute to Williams captured the essence of their friendship and Williams’ influence: “He made us laugh hard, every time you saw him. His brilliance was astounding… As genius as he was on stage, he was the greatest friend you could imagine. It’s very hard to talk about him in the past; he was so present in all our lives.”