Whoopi Goldberg's Biggest Career Lesson Will Surprise You

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Episode: Whoopi Goldberg's Biggest Career Lesson Will Surprise You
Date: August 6, 2026
Host: Lauren LaRosa, with clips from Keke Palmer's "Baby, this is Keke Palmer", Whoopi Goldberg, Ms. Shanika, Clarissa Shields, and others.
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into career longevity, resilience, and authenticity in entertainment, focusing on an insightful recent conversation between Keke Palmer and Whoopi Goldberg. Host Lauren LaRosa not only recaps highlights from that conversation—touching on race, career setbacks, and individual style—but also expands the episode scope to current pop culture and viral moments, including a tense interview with boxer Clarissa Shields.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Surviving and Thriving in Corporate and Creative Spaces

• Lauren’s Reflection: Lauren opens with her own struggles and observations about navigating corporate office life and emotional maturity, letting listeners in on the realities of both structured (corporate) and creative (entertainment) work environments.
  • “Like, the emotional maturity, inability to compartmentalize that is needed in order to be able to survive the corporate structure is insane…”
  • Timestamps: [02:45 – 06:51]

2. Whoopi Goldberg on Hollywood Realities and Range

• Major Career Lesson: Whoopi shares that she’s often praised for her diverse roles, but her resume reflects the harsh reality of being Black in Hollywood:
  • “I took what I could take because I needed work, and they wouldn't hire me because I was black.” (Whoopi Goldberg, [15:06])
  • She describes how many of her iconic roles were originally intended for white actors and how she got them after others turned them down.
  • “Sister Act? It was for Bette. They wrote that for Bette Midler. That wasn’t mine...I was looking for work. And everybody always has the...Well, but it’s true. Because apparently I’m black.” (Whoopi Goldberg, [14:50 – 15:11])
  • “I said to my agents, give me all the stuff that people have turned down. So I got Burglar that way. Because that was Bruce Willis’s movie. Jumping Jack Flash was Shelley Long’s movie.” (Whoopi Goldberg, [15:16])
  • The result was a career of unexpected, iconic moments—often underappreciated at the time, but beloved in hindsight.

3. Measuring Success: Box Office Flops that Became Classics

• The Long View: Both Keke Palmer and Whoopi discuss how projects initially deemed failures eventually become classics and meaningful career milestones.
  • Lauren’s Reflection:
    “Whoopi did not know when she did some of those movies that eventually…would later go on to become, like, iconic staple pieces of cinema attached to their careers.”
    • Timestamps: [26:12 – 28:47]
  • Memorable Quote:
    “When they got on television, people lost their minds. Because people didn’t always have money to go see the movie. But they could see it on tv. And that’s how a lot of my movies have become these kind of classics.” (Whoopi Goldberg, [16:19 – 16:48])

4. The Notion of “Fashion Icon”

• Whoopi’s Authenticity:
  • When Keke Palmer calls her a “fashion icon,” Whoopi pushes back, highlighting her focus on comfort and individualism over trends.
  • “It wasn’t always that way. There used to be a lot of talk in the old days about how odd I dressed because I wore sneakers to the Oscars…I don’t care, because I really don’t want to be uncomfortable in what I’m wearing.”
    (Whoopi Goldberg, [28:56 – 29:13])
  • Lauren unpacks how Whoopi’s unbothered individuality—sneakers with gowns, mixing styles—actually laid groundwork for today’s more expressive style culture.

5. Viral Moment: Clarissa Shields and Papoose Relationship Question

• Background: Boxer Clarissa Shields faced questions on her relationship with Papoose (previously married to Remy Ma) and defended herself amid speculation.
  • Ms. Shanika’s Question:
    “How much longer are you willing to be in a relationship with somebody’s husband?”
    (Ms. Shanika, [37:30])
  • Clarissa Shields’ Response:
    “Pause, because that’s not somebody’s husband, okay? Papoose filed for divorce…He’s serious about me…So that’s not what it is. They say that because they want that to be the narrative, but that’s not it.”
    (Clarissa Shields, [37:44 – 38:29])
• Aftermath and Social Media Fallout:
  • Ms. Shanika responds on another platform, calling the situation “delusional,” and Clarissa Shields claps back, touting her attractiveness and success.
  • Key Quote:
    “I want to tell you the real reason why Pap is with me…My ass is real, my body’s real, I look good…The things that my little Poonama can do is amazing.”
    (Clarissa Shields, [39:35 – 39:52])
• Lauren’s Perspective on Interviewing:
  • Navigating hard questions without being labeled messy:
    “You have to ease your way into it. You know, think about the fact that this is a person you’re talking to. How would you want to be asked that question? So I understood both sides of it. Especially when social media gets involved…”
    (Lauren LaRosa, [41:46])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On navigating Hollywood as a Black woman:
  “Apparently I’m black…and I guess I didn’t realize it. So every time I went looking for something, they were like, oh, no, no, no, this isn’t for you.”
  — Whoopi Goldberg ([15:06])

• On taking “hand-me-down” roles:
  “I said to my agents, give me all the stuff that people have turned down.”
  — Whoopi Goldberg ([15:16])

• On eventual legacy:
  “A lot of my movies have become these kind of classics because people went, oh, that’s what that was about.”
  — Whoopi Goldberg ([16:37])

• On being a “fashion icon”:
  “It wasn’t always that way. There used to be a lot of talk…about how odd I dressed because I wore sneakers to the Oscars…I’ll put combat boots on under a gown. I don’t care…”
  — Whoopi Goldberg ([28:56 – 29:13])

• On resilience:
  “You really got to stay steadfast. And even when you’re not for sure what you’re doing, you have to still keep doing it again, because putting your reps in is what, like, you never know when you throw something at the wall what’s going to stick.”
  — Lauren LaRosa ([26:12])

• On viral relationships and messy questions:
  “I would not have been able to — if I had asked a question that way, I would have been dragged to the high heavens…But, like, you got to ease your way into it…Situational awareness.”
  — Lauren LaRosa ([41:46])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Corporate reflections and working in entertainment: [02:45 – 06:51]
• Whoopi Goldberg on career, fighting for roles: [14:47 – 16:48]
• Filmography deep-dive (Whoopi’s most iconic roles): [16:48 – 21:08]
• On classics that were box office flops: [26:12 – 28:47]
• Fashion, individualism, and icon status: [28:47 – 29:35]
• Clarissa Shields interview & viral aftermath: [37:30 – 39:52]
• Lauren on interviewing and media fallout: [41:46 – 46:24]

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, candid, and personable, with Lauren frequently breaking the fourth wall to bring listeners up to speed on media literacy, career survival, and navigating pop culture.
• Speakers are unfiltered, direct, and self-reflective, especially Whoopi Goldberg and Lauren LaRosa.

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Summary

This episode is a rich meditation on what it means to survive and create meaning in industries that don’t always welcome or reward you, especially for Black women in Hollywood. Whoopi Goldberg’s candid career reflections—on snatching up rejected roles, turning flops into classics, and staying true to her sense of self—anchor the episode. Lauren LaRosa underscores the importance of perseverance and authenticity not only in entertainment but in any professional sphere. The episode also wrestles with the media’s impact on personal narratives through the Clarissa Shields story, offering insight into how viral culture, messy questions, and social media complicate public life.

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For Listeners

• If you love behind-the-scenes tales from Hollywood legends, honest takes on navigating corporate and creative spaces as a Black woman, and nuanced discussions of messy viral moments, this episode is essential listening.
• Whoopi Goldberg’s “biggest career lesson” may just be: take the opportunities you get, stay true to yourself, and don’t let others define your value.

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Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human Happy Birthday to Hip Hop. Today we're celebrating the culture, the artists, the stories and the tracks that continue to inspire generations. The debate of what's the greatest hip hop track of all time will never end. Everybody's got that one song that they will defend no matter what. And that's what makes the Sprite Living Track List so dope. Sprite took some of the most iconic lyrics ever and turned them into limited edition collectible cans. Every can is a different piece of Hip Hop history, so building the full set is part of the fun. Your mission is to build your own physical playlist. Go out and hunt down all 26 limited edition cans of Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar. This is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst. Here's to Hip Hop's past, present and everything that is still to come. Happy Birthday Hip Hop.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

What's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on things, pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. So y' all know, we kick off the Latest with Lauren LaRosa with checking in behind the scenes of the grind. Y' all ready? Let's get to it. Back on the grind. All right, y', all, so we're checking the behind the scenes of the grind today. Today, I am honestly just getting through work. This is like, a regular weekday for me here at the Breakfast Club studio recording the podcast. We finished up the day we did lunch. I was joking with one of my co workers here or Taylor. Y' all know Taylor. Taylor made it. Who produces the podcast, the latest with Laura Rosa. I was joking to her, and I was like, working for a corporation is so crazy if you think about it. Like, one day, you can go from like, having to, like, sit down and have, like, real meetings with each other and be very honest about what the other person isn't doing, right? That is, you know, getting you from the goal. The next day, everything is cool. The day after that, y' all sitting down and eating lunch together, like, it is a very. Like, you have to be very emotionally mature. And if. If even not emotionally mature, you have to just really understand the climate of corporate structure like, here. And I was not even just here at the company I work for. You guys know, and when I say company I work for. The podcast is via Black Effect. But the. The podcast is in partnership with iHeart. I Heart is also a breakfast Club. I'm sorry. Breakfast Club is also iHeart company as well. But any corporation, like, I think back to, like, you know, when I worked in banking, I worked at Barclaycard US in Delaware, and I was there for about, like, two years. I worked in a community relations department. So we were like, the marketing team for, like, philanthropy for the bank. That's the best way to put it. But even that, like, I recently saw a post from my previous boss. She's, like, chief operating officer at, like, some huge, you know, fintech company now. And I just remember us being so young and having like, our disagreements and then being cool and like, you know, some of my friends first corporate banking experiences outside of Delaware, just in general, even in Delaware, happened with her. Like, I remember going to like, you know, there would be like these certain happy hours on Wall street that we would go to and we would be here in New York taking meetings and then literally, like, we'd be doing that on Friday and on Monday we'd be in a meeting potentially talking about, y' all know, y' all understand the dynamic I'm talking about, right? Yeah. For some reason I was thinking about that today. Like, the emotional maturity, inability to compartmentalize that is needed in order to be able to survive the corporate structure is insane. And I don't even think it's like, even surviving the corporate structure. I really think it goes into, like, life too. Like, I think how you are and what you learn to be in and how you learn to navigate in a professional setting creates a whole different level of, like, goals and just different things you want to do in your personal life. Being an adult is crazy. I'm just rambling now because I, I, oh my God. That has been me today, literally reflecting. I woke up this morning like, thank you, God, I have a job. And just was reflecting because, Lord, life was just, you just never know where you're going to end up. It's like the most insane thing. I was actually, I fell asleep last night watching Kiki Palmer and Whoopi Goldberg's conversation on Baby, this is Keke Palmer, which is Keke Palmer's podcast. And I think that's where my thoughts derive from today. And as I woke up this morning to get ready for work. So let's get on over into the latest.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Connecting changes everything. AT&T. Hey, y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And we gotta talk. We gotta get into something that Sprite just dropped because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out about, okay? It's called the Sprite living track list. 50 tracks, hand picked that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to. All cute. This is designed to start real conversation to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop in the list, reminiscing as well, sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spent my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told. How one moment in a song becomes a moment for the culture. And seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this, side by side. Yo, Masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now, this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class. Real then and now vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with Unity, Bodak Yellow, and who's that Girl Child. You can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin. Hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track on the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprised you, and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com. this is the Sprite Living track list. Obey your thirst.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

I mean legendary run and I, I won't even say it's a run because we've always known Kiki Palmer as the girl that with the jobs like Kiki stay booked Palmer period. Right. But yes. So Kiki Palmer, she fresh off of an announcement that she's going to be hosting the View. The View. Oh my God, maybe that's coming for her going to be hosting the Voice. Carson Daly is taking a step back as host for the first time in like 31 seasons but he will be working as producer. So Kiki Palmer is coming in and that's announced but at the same time her conversation Whoopi Goldberg goes live on her YouTube channel. And I saw a promo for this about like maybe like two days prior and I was so excited. Like I just know like from watching Other interviews that Whoopi Goldberg has done, and she's very selective about who she sits down and talks to. Watching her on the View, I got the meter, but I couldn't really tell this from meeting her because I didn't really have, like, an extensive conversation with her, like, personally. But it just seems like she's very, like, it is what it is. Like she's going to tell you how she feels. She lays everything on the line. If she don't want to tell you how she feels or she don't want to talk about something, she's not going to. But it seems like a very vulnerable and genuine conversation. But also it seems like she just don't take no shit. And I love people like that, especially in this business. Like, we talk about, like, corporates and working for companies and in entertainment, like, things are so different because the. The structures that are normally put into place in regular workplaces, they're structure and entertainment. But it's just very different. Like, you have to navigate. You have to work as an entrepreneur with. Even within a corporate setting, which can go very well at times because you're so motivated, you hit the ground running. You know, you have to have long endurance and stuff in entertainment. But it can also be a negative thing because it's like a lot of times you are overworked, underpaid. There's a lot of things that you can go down the list that just don't work well when you are being treated as if you're entrepreneurial. Like, when you're being treated as if you're supposed to have an entrepreneurial spirit. Spirit within something that's supposed to be taking care of you. Right. But Whoopi Goldberg has built up such a successful name and legacy for herself. So hearing her be honest about how this has impacted her as well, just the attitude that she has and, you know, knowing. Knowing her worth and all of that, it was great to hear. Let's get into the interview, though. So coming off of that note, let's. Let's get into. There was a part of the interview where Whoopi Goldberg is talking about all of the successes that we've seen, like legendary movies, Color Purple, all the things because. Because of the diversity in roles that she's been able to pick, people always give her her flowers for that. Like, oh, you know, you. You know, Whoopi got range. And she's like, yeah, I mean, the talent is there, but to be honest, I took what I could take because I needed work, and they wouldn't hire me because I was black. Let's take a listen. So what happened with Sister Act?

[Whoopi Goldberg]

Which one?

[Lauren LaRosa]

You getting into the role?

[Whoopi Goldberg]

It was for Bette. They wrote that for Bette Midler. That wasn't mine.

[Ms. Shanika]

How did you get up there, take that lady movie?

[Whoopi Goldberg]

I didn't take it. I was looking for work. I was looking for work, and everybody always has the.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I was looking for work.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

Well, but it's true. Because apparently I'm black.

[Jahliel Hemins]

Yeah.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

And I guess I didn't realize it.

[Jahliel Hemins]

Okay.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

So every time I went looking for something, they were like, oh, no, no, no, this isn't for you. So I start. And I started. I said to my agents, give me all the stuff that people have turned down. So I got Burglar that way. Because that was Bruce Willis's movie. Jumping Jack Flash was Shelley Long's movie. There's several. A whole bunch of movies I got.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, y', all, call. What's the Jennifer Lawrence didn't want. Yeah, yeah, send it to me.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Cal Penn]

Okay.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

Because I felt like people really wanted to make those movies, and then the person they wanted said, no, let me see what I could do. That's why I loved when you said, you know, you did this and this and this. And it was always different people. I was always the character that was written. And I think because people 30 years ago, 40 years ago, had a limited idea of what could be done.

[Clarissa Shields]

Yes.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

And had a limited idea of what I could do. Cause clearly they hadn't seen my show, so they didn't know. So I did them. And, you know, listen, they didn't always work at the box office, but when they got on television, people lost their minds. Because people didn't always have money to go see the movie.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

But they could see it on tv. And that's how we got all. A lot of my movies have become these kind of classics because people went, oh, that's what that was about.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So when I saw that, I went and looked up, like, what are Whoopi Goldberg's top 15 movies? Because one of our. Our producer is Brandon. He's been here on the podcast, made a point to me. Not a point, but he had a thought. So his thought was, Whoopi Goldberg has been in a lot of huge iconic films. She is massively successful, huge celebrity name. But, like, what is one character of hers that you can think about that stood out to you beyond anything? I instantly thought Color Purple. Like, it would have to be Color Purple or it would have to be Sister Act. Like, it would have to be one of Those two. But. And when I said that, he was like, yeah, I mean, I guess you're right. But he was like, even those characters, like, for as Big As She Is, you would think that it would be way more than those or that the characters would be, like, bigger or, like, more people would, like, talk about them often. I'm like. But Color Purple was huge, though. Like, Cecily, Color Purple was a really big movie, but it made me look up, like, where her top movies were. So I have a list of what Gold Derby says. Player. First number at number 15. I'm sorry. Last at number 15. Number 14 for color girls in 2010. It's crazy because I know For Colored Girls was a big movie. I know Whoopi Goldberg was in it, but I don't think instantly For Colored Girls when I think Whoopi Goldberg, and I think that's what the producer that I worked with was talking about. Like, there's a lot of big movies, and she's amazing in them, but you don't even think about those characters. Like, you can't even name who she played in For Colored Girls. Whoopi Goldberg played Alice Adros, the lady in white, in the 2010 film adaption of Four Colored Girls. So she was the strict religious mother who constantly argued with her promiscuous bartender daughter, played by Tangie, who was the. One of the main characters. Now, you also have Karina. Karina. I've never seen at 13. I've never seen that. Number 12, how Stella got Her Groove Back. See, you don't even like. And that's what I'm saying in any. If you watch the movie now, you'll be like, oh, yeah. Like, we couldn't have made this movie without Whoopi. But for Housetle, that got her groove Back, the Lion King is number 11. She played one of the hyenas. I feel like most people wouldn't just think about that role either. Number 10, Ghost of Mississippi. I didn't see that movie. Number nine. She was in Soap Dish back in 91. Number eight, Claire's Heart in 88. She been doing this for a long time. Number seven, Jumping Jack Flash in 86. Number six, The Long Work, Long Walk Home. Number five, Girl Interrupted. Number four. They list number. Sister act is number four. I can sing Sister Act. That was from 1992. Dang. I was one years old when Sister. I came out. I could literally sing Sister act word for word. Like, that movie made me want to be like. That was one of the things that made me want to be on Camera sister, act, Moesha, and Living9. Living color. I feel like I wasn't big on Living Color. I would watch some of the sketches, but I wasn't big on Living Color. Living single, different World, Cosby show for sure. Like, oh, my God. I wanted their family so bad, and I wanted to be on that show so bad. Number three boys on the side. Number two ghost. And watch. Number one's gonna be colorful. Yeah. Color Purple. Color Purple is that is the movie for Whoopi Goldberg. She was the lead in Color Purple. After her one woman show, Broadway became a surprise hit, Steven Spielberg took a huge chance, casting the unknown actress at the center of this film. But the gamble paid off. Possible controversy over her having a white director tell the story caused Oscar voters to avoid the film in the final balloting. Despite 11 Oscar nominations overall, Steven Spielberg was not nominated for best director. The various controversies made the Academy go for a safer choice, Best actress, too. And they awarded Geraldine Page for the trip to Bontefield since she had suffered seven prior losses.

[Ms. Shanika]

Hey, y'.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And we gotta talk. We gotta get into something that sprite just dropped because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out about, okay? It's called the Sprite living track list. 50 tracks, handpicked that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to all cute. This is designed to start real conversation to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop and the list reminiscing as well, sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spent my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told. How one moment a song becomes a moment for the culture. And seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this, side by side. Yo, Masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now, this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class. Real then and now vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with Unity, Bodak Yellow, and who's that Girl Child. You can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin, hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track on the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprise you, and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living Track List and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst this summer there are

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switch and get $100 back plus $650 in value in built in plan benefits. That's $750 in your first year guaranteed.

[T-Mobile Customer]

And honestly, that hundred dollars back? I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Representative]

That's how you do summer.

[T-Mobile Customer]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Representative]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 250 reasons. Find yours

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[Knix Representative]

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[Cal Penn]

hey everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's Audiobook project Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh, my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Cal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I think one of the biggest things, though, that I took away from this conversation was just that people might not get it all the time, especially not right away. And some of the greatest, like, I didn't really know much about Whoopi Goldberg's coming into her, you know, like, success story. Kiki Palmer, I think is a bit different because, like, I was young growing up on watching, you know, watching Kiki Palmer, like, was like, she's like, we're around the same age. So, like, that was, like, natural. Like, I remember when Akilah be a killer in the Bee, you could watch it on TV or you could get it on tape. And, like, you know, I didn't know that it wasn't a box office success. I had no idea about that. But I was young. But I just remember the excitement. I remember hearing, you know, all of my friends talking about it. Like, I remember when that movie, when she started to become, like, an actress that, like, people were recognizing. Whoopi is, you know, a lot older than me, so I don't remember that. But taking away from this conversation is just, you really got to stay steadfast. And even when you're not for sure what you're doing, you have to still keep doing it again, because putting your reps in is what, like, you never know when you throw something at the wall what's going to stick. Like, Whoopi did not know when she did some of those movies that eventually. And Keke Palmer either, when she talked about Killing the Bee, that when it flopped originally in the box office, they would later go on to become, like, iconic staple pieces. Of cinema attached to their careers. And I think in the moment, too, like, I always think so much about, like, what's happening right now, what I'm not doing right now, what I'm not doing well right now. I never think about, like, how things will grow, mature and manifest into other things, into learning lessons, into some of the greatest moments of my life, into some of the greatest learned lessons of my life. So it was good to hear, you know, Whoopy Goldberg talk a lot about that. They talk about everything, though. They got into sex, they got into career. I mean, more into career. They got into Whoopi Goldberg being a fashion icon. Did y' all know people look at Whoopi Goldberg as a fashion icon? Now, here's the thing. When Kiki Palmer said fashion icon, I was like, I wouldn't phrase it that way. I understood what Kiki Palmer was trying to say, but I wouldn't phrase it that way. I wouldn't call Oprah a fashion Oprah. I wouldn't call Whoopi Goldberg a fashion icon. Let's take a listen to Keke Palmer talk about Whoopi in the fashion sense, also a fashion icon. From your hair, which makes me laugh, to your lipstick, I mean, everything about you can be emulated because it's so specific.

[Clarissa Shields]

Yeah.

[Target Representative]

But then it's.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You just kind of like, hey, you don't even really think about it. Like, what. What is your. Your POV of fashion and the fact that you are a fashion icon to so many.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

Well, I think it's so lovely for people to say that, but it wasn't always that way. There used to be a lot of talk in the old days about how odd I dressed because I wore sneakers to the Oscars.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I mean, so sick.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

I didn't want to put my feet in those high heels. When I want to do it, I do it. When I don't want to do it, I make, you know, I'll put combat boots on under a gown. I don't care, because I really don't want to be uncomfortable in what I'm wearing, which is why the whole bra and underwear thing is, you know, is a choice is a choice. Yes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I would not think of Whoopi Goldberg as a fashion icon. Has Whoopi Goldberg made fashion moves that people, like, point to and have conversation about? Yes, and a lot of them have. I mean, now we know a lot of them are like, she talks about it on the show, comfort, but it's kind of always been like, she's had her own style. And I think to be honest with you, from the 80s up until now, like, like how we are in 2026 and how we dressing. You know, there's not a lot of individualism today. And I think what would be, it's not that she's ever set out to be a fashion icon. I think she's always just been very much an individual. But would be. Has had, you know, some moments. Like, you know, there, there are, if y' all Google Whoopi Goldberg fashion moments. There have been some moments. Like one of the pictures I was trying to find, I was trying to see where this was from. She's at, like, an event of some sort, and she's in a T shirt with this fire leather jacket, like a distressed vintage leather jacket. Everything about her has always been so cool and so effortless and willing to try whatever and do whatever and be very, very, very different. I mean, like, sneakers with dresses, sneakers with suits. Like, people have just always been very confused about Whoopi Goldberg's personal style. And I, I love that they had because I feel like it's very essential to who she is as a person. She don't care nothing about y' all people. It's all about what she wants and what she needs in the moment and how she's feeling in the moment. And I love that. That's why I understand what Kiki Palmer is saying. Even though I know I knew Whoopi was gonna push back on that, like, fashion icon. Girl, please. I just do what I do. Hey, y', all, what's up? It's Lorin LaRosa and we gotta talk. We gotta get into something. That Sprite just dropped because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out about, okay? It's called the Sprite living track list. 50 tracks, hand picked that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to all cute. This is designed to start real conversation, to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop and the list reminiscing as well, sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spent my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told. How one moment in a song becomes a moment for the culture and seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this side by side, yo. Masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class real then and now vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with you and I T Y Bodak Yellow and who's that Girl Child. You can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin, Hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track on the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprised you, and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst this summer there are

[T-Mobile Representative]

250 reasons to join T Mobile Girls

[T-Mobile Customer]

Trip booked and switching to T Mobile Help make it happen with experience beyond

[T-Mobile Representative]

switch and get $100 back plus $650 in value in built in plan benefits. That's $750 in your first year guaranteed.

[T-Mobile Customer]

And honestly, that hundred dollars back I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Representative]

That's how you do summer.

[T-Mobile Customer]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Representative]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 250 reasons. Find yours

[T-Mobile Terms Announcer]

Savings based on the value of benefits included with experience beyond like entertainment and one year of AAA classic and dashpass on US benefits may require activation. See plan for details. Get $100 via virtual prepaid MasterCard with eligible ported, no cash access and expires in six months. Issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC.

[Knix Representative]

Allow eight weeks nix. That's knix leak proof underwear isn't just for one moment. It's for all the everyday moments you didn't realize leak proof underwear could make easier. Maybe it's day one of your period. Maybe it's a long travel day. Maybe it's hot outside, you're on the move and you just want to feel fresh. Their leak proof underwear comes in a range of absorbencies from light to ultra and helps protect against periods, light leaks, sweat and everyday surprises. And because they look and feel like real underwear, they're soft, invisible, underclothes and machine washable. No extra hassle no complicated routine just dependable protection you can wash and re wear. See why millions have made the switch to leak proof underwear visit nyx.com that's KN I X.com and use code FLO15 for 15% off. That's knix.com code FLOW15 hey everyone, it's Cal Penn.

[Cal Penn]

I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project Hail Mary massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Cal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now let's shift gears a bit. We talk about talk shows and conversations. Young jock and Ms. Shanika over on the streets Morning takeover. They continued the conversation today. Well, to be fair, they responded to Clarissa Shields, who is huge, you know, female boxer. She's the goat. She's undefeated. So does her thing. She has a fight coming up August 15th in Atlanta. But there has been a back and forth, you know, because of an interview that they did with her. Now in the interview, she was asked about Papoose, who is a rapper from New York who was formerly dating Remy Ma. They were married. Actually not dating. Sorry. They were married for some time. So a lot of time. And then it came out that Clarissa was dating him, which all of it caught all of us by surprise, if I'm being honest, because we only knew of Papoose and Clarissa. I'm sorry, we only knew a pet. Poots and Remy as like black love and working things out and you know, whatever. There were rumblings of different things, but we just did not know. But anyway, Clarissa Shields was in Atlanta promoting her fight. She went on a radio show with young jock and miss Shanika. The streets wanted to take over and she was asked this question. We talked about this in a previous episode, but let's take a look.

[Ms. Shanika]

Real question, because I didn't be here before. How, how much longer are you willing to be in a relationship with somebody's husband? Because at the end of the day, that's what people are looking at.

[Clarissa Shields]

Well, pause, okay? Pause, because that's not somebody's husband, okay? Papua's file for divorce. Y' all hate to say that word, but it's the word that's out there. He filed for divorce because he's serious about me. So I'm not with somebody's husband, okay? And if you're gonna call him her husband, make sure you call her his wife. And also her hold her accountable for what she's doing in her life because she hasn't who she's big about. So don't make it seem like it's just one sided. I'm not with somebody's husband. I'm with the man who filed for divorce, who's serious about me, who has done things for me that I've done for him. So that's not what it is. They say that because they want that to be the narrative, but that's not it. People go through divorces and breakups more than, than anything in the world. That's why it's such a big talk.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now, Ms. Shanika has done, you know, some press hits following that interview. One of them she did with an outlet out of Atlanta called the Inquirer Shout out to Dennis Byron Photog, you know, also has this show as well, too, down Atlanta. We covered the Diddy trial together, but she did an interview with them. And here are some of the things that she had to say about the moment where she actually. Clarissa Shields, that question and the fact that it went viral. Let's take a listen. Yes.

[Ms. Shanika]

And at that point, once she started answering the question, I think me and Jock and Shaw kind of looked at one another and said, oh, no, this is a delusional situation. We're not going to go back and forth with her about something that her man has rehearsed to her over and over again. This life, we're not gonna do that. You know what I'm saying?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now, Clarissa Shields was not happy about that whatsoever. And she responded saying this, I, I

[Ms. Shanika]

want to tell you the real reason

[Clarissa Shields]

why Pap is with me, because I don't think, you know, I'm gonna tell you I'm a badass, flat out My

[Lauren LaRosa]

ass is real, my body's real, I

[Clarissa Shields]

look good as in the face. I'm successful, I'm young. And the things that my little Poonama can do is amazing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Ms. Shanika and Young jock over at Streets 945. I keep saying Streets 945 because that's the station that they. I don't know if they still on that station, but when I was in Atlanta trying to figure out if I wanted to be down there for work and career, I just remember that station number. But yeah, so they responded on their morning show, kind of recapping everything because Clarissa's comments got picked up pretty widely, at least across like, you know, black social media, on the black side of things. Let's take a listen.

[Ms. Shanika]

I asked that question from a place of care. I'm sitting here, we're interviewing a 31 year old champion in her field. I'm feeling her energy, it's upbeat. But you know, I can tell that, that there's more going on than meet the eye. And as I led in my question, I said I've been here before, a lot of women have been there before. And so I'm putting these facts together and over time, you know, from people speaking on the way that she looks or the way that she acts or the way that she dresses, I'm looking at this young, successful lady and I'm just like, I hate that for you. I hate that people are, you know, looking at you and your talent, but your drama and who you chose to love is overshadowing that. So yes, I wanted to know sister to sit. I wanted to know what I guess most people, I didn't know that she hadn't been axed at before. But it was in my spirit. It was nothing that I wrote down. It was, it literally, girl, how long are you willing to let this overshadow your career?

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right, I think, I think the question that Ms. Shanika was asking is what people wanted to know. And I sit in a very rare area on this because it's like I understand both sides of the coin, right? Like I understand being a person in the room who like really wants to know something, but also, you know, that's what people want to know. But if you're just a follower of culture, pop culture, there are certain people that when they come in a room and you sit down to talk to them, you know, everything that people have talked to them about, haven't talked to them about, but you know, the answers that you really want to get to. And I don't mean because you're trying to go viral or anything like that, but it's just like I really, as a person that is inquisitive, want to know. And I think that that's what this was. I think Ms. Shanika really had that question and really wanted to know because that's a lot of, you know, the conversation that surrounds Clarissa Shields and Papoose current relationship now on the other side of it. First of all, I wouldn't even say I wouldn't have asked a question that way. I. I wouldn't, I wouldn't have been able to. If I had asked a question that way, I would have been dragged to the high heavens. I can't even get it out. People would have been calling me all types of messy or whatever. I've had to learn how to be able to get to a question like that without saying it anywhere near like that period. Like when Clarissa Shields was here on the Breakfast Club, we talked to her about, you know, their relationship. And it's four of us in the room. And I remember specifically remember sometimes I'll hit envy during the interviews and be like, yo, there this question we really need to make sure we don't miss. Can you help me? Like, because sometimes in conversation, if it's four people, the conversation might go to something super positive and mental health or whatever. You don't want to be the person bringing it back in. So when the divorce gonna be finalized, because it's like, dang. And I remember when I first, you know, came over to the Breakfast Club and started the podcast here with the latest with Lauren, the Rosa. One of the critiques that I would always get notes from the guys would be, you know, your, your situational awareness. Like, you are very like, like, boom, just say it. And it works sometimes. But like, you got to ease your way into it. You know, think about the fact that this is a person you're talking to. How would you want to be asked that question? So I understood both sides of it. Especially when social media gets involved. Like they said, like, I don't think that, you know, people talk about it enough, but social media and the people picking up the phone and calling you from, from. Look, you got your friends and family who all see, this is viral now. Like, that can. It can do something to you. I've had to learn to sell social media when things go down. I've also had to learn to not answer the phone when things go. Not to bring up, you know, bad times. But like, when me and Jess were going through all that stuff publicly. Like, when things would go viral from the show, I literally would not answer my phone for, like, friends or family that day. Like, literally, because I knew in my mind, I was like, you know, it ain't always gonna be here. One day. We'll get to the bottom of, like, what the. You know, what the energy is that I was receiving and that, you know, I was. You know what I mean? Like, I felt the energy, but, like, I'm like, you know, we're gonna get to the bottom of this, and. And when we do, I don't want what other people think, feel, or, you know, their instant need to try and protect me to come into it. So I would literally not answer the phone or, like, you know, I wouldn't entertain certain conversations because I wanted to have my own mind and my own opinion about it, because I was the one in the situation who was also watching, you know, just coming here every morning super, super postpartum and figuring out her place. And, like, I would see that side of it, but then I would also get the other side of it, too. So I was trying to find, like, a very good middle space of, like, all right, we can't keep doing this. But at the same time, I feel you, and I feel for you. So I blocked a lot of stuff out during that time and a lot of people out during that time, and. And not out of malice. I know that they loved me and just didn't like what they were seeing or. You know what I mean? But, like, I. You. You have to. And I think once social media gets a hold of certain things and people in the outside world, outside of that situation you're in, get a hold of it, it is really tough to fight back against not feeling like you have to strike back, because now they are watching. Now they all talking. Now they all listening. I think the part. There were parts of the interview, though, that Ms. Shanika did with Dennis Byron that I was like, okay, now, you know, when, like, it. Not even just Clarissa Shields, but if anybody had watched this interview after

[Clarissa Shields]

y'

[Lauren LaRosa]

all had a conversation in person, they would feel away. They would feel like, okay, like, we could have had that. That conversation in person, though. So I get it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Y'.

[Whoopi Goldberg]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let me know what y' all think. You know, I know I saw a lot of the journalist girlies having, like, decorum conversations, and I don't even subscribe to any of that stuff either, because, child, y' all be go. You ask the tough questions one day to, oh, my God, you're so messy. Always tear down to people the next like I can't with the people. It's been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. I am your host, Ms. Lauren LaRos, and I tell you guys, I've never caught myself missing here. I don't know why I just did that. I tell you guys every single episode. Y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all the things, but you choose to be right here with me, my low riders. I love you guys. I'll see you in my next episode. Honestly, Honestly, Honestly.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

How With T Mobile of course.

[Knix Representative]

Mira, he's video calling us.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hola Familia.

[Felipe]

Did you get my photos?

[Dr. Jay Barnett]

We did.

[Lauren LaRosa]

They're so pretty.

[Felipe]

Here to share every moment with T Mobile. Enjoy Data roaming at no expertise. Extra charge in 21 Latin American countries. Switch now on the TLife app or t mobile.com connectati qualifying plan required not for extended international use. You must reset in the US and

[Lauren LaRosa]

primary usage must occur in our Network.

[Felipe]

Visit t mobile.com Some people use ChatGPT to answer questions. Others use it to get real work done. With ChatGPT work you bring the goal plus real inputs like briefs, notes, files, feedback, data and project plans. It can help turn them into an analysis, tracker, deck, outline, prototype or workflow. You can review and keep shaping. You stay in control, giving direction and choosing the final output. Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get [e-mail] by selecting work mode available on plus and Pro plans.

[Cal Penn]

Hey everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast, Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Book Club. Every episode I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.