She is one of the top females on the list of mega successful African-American personalities in Hollywood. Caryn Elaine Johnson (her birth name) is an actress, a comedian, a writer and an activist known in recent times for her role on the daytime TV show, The View. Her love for comedy and the arts existed since she was a little girl.
Goldberg moved to California to pursue show business and that was where her skills as a stand-up comedienne were developed. With a piercing humor and her signature dreads, Whoopi is best known not just for her gifted portrayals in comedic roles but also in dramatic roles. The Color Purple (1985) actress is one of the dozen people to have an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award to their name.
Date of Birth: November 13, 1955
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
The Lion King (1994) voice actress might be one of the biggest faces in the industry but many seem to forget that she has had a very active personal life too. Goldberg has been through three different marriages, has a daughter and is even a great-grand mother. Read on to know all you should about the family life of the incredibly brilliant actress.
Robert James Johnson Jr. (father)
Date of Birth: March 4, 1930
Date of Death: May 25, 1993 (aged 63)
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Robert was a clergyman and also the father to Whoopi and her brother. He abandoned his family when they were still young, leaving Emma to raise both children all by herself. He died at 63 of stomach cancer and complications from HIV.
Emma Johnson (nee Harris) (mother)
Date of Birth: September 21, 1931
Date of Death: August 29, 2010 (aged 78)
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Emma was a teacher and nurse who touched many lives with her extraordinary lifestyle. She passed away from complications of a stroke. To say it was a tough time for Whoopi is an understatement as she was broken by the devastating news. Her mother had been a close confidant who was incredibly proud of her daughter’s achievements. She however found a silver lining in the fact that there was nothing left unsaid between her and her mother.
Clyde K. Johnson (late brother from same parents)
(L-R) Whoopi, Clyde and Alex
Year of Birth: 1949
Date of Death: May 11, 2015 (aged 65)
Clyde was the only sibling to the super star Ghost (1990) actress and he worked occasionally as her driver when she was on film sets. He died sadly at 65 of a brain aneurysm.
Alvin Martin (former spouse)
Duration of Marriage: 1973 – 1979 (6 years)
Date of Birth: May 26, 1952
Date of Death: December 19, 2006 (aged 54)
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Alvin was her first husband and she was married to him the longest. He is also the father of her only child, Alex. He worked as a drug counsellor but passed away over a decade ago.
David Claessen (former spouse)
Duration of Marriage: September 1, 1986 – 1988 (2 years)
Date of Birth: March 6, 1959
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Claessen is a cinematographer and was the second man to walk Goldberg down the aisle.
Lyle Trachtenberg (former spouse)
Duration of Marriage: October 1, 1994 – 1995 (1 year)
Date of Birth: January 1, 1956
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
After her second marriage crashed, she took a break until she met fellow actor Lyle. Their union lasted just about a year with no kids together and Trachtenberg has pretty much stayed out of the limelight since then. Although the media personality has not been married in over two decades, she’s been known to have dated some high-profile stars.
Alex Martin-Dean (daughter with Alvin Martin)
Date of Birth: May 9, 1973
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Whoopi was only 17 when she had her first and only baby girl. Alex has followed her mom’s path and become equally successful in Hollywood; in 1994, she won the title of Miss Golden Globe. Martin’s first child, Amarah Skye (born November 13, 1989) was born with an ‘unknown’ father but she had Jerzey (born 1995) and Mason (born 1999) with her husband Bernard Dean. Amarah now has a daughter named Charlie Rose, making Alex a grandmother and Goldberg a great-grandmother.
Amarah Skye (granddaughter)
Jerzey Dean (granddaughter)
Mason Dean (grandson)
Alex with son Mason
Charlie Rose (great-granddaughter)
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