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About UsAdvertiseInvestor RelationsJobsNewslettersEditionUSUKAustraliaBrasilCanadaDeutschlandIndiaJapanLatamCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information © 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAccessibility StatementAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapBuzzFeed NewsReporting on what you care about. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing.BuzzFeed TastySearch, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place!BuzzFeed GoodfulSelf care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life.BuzzFeed Bring MeObsessed with travel? Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me!BuzzFeed As IsSomething for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity.Celebrity·Posted 22 minutes agoWhoopi Goldberg Apparently Chose Her Stage Name Because Of Farts, According To Her Granddaughter
"That's how Caryn Johnson became Whoopi Goldberg."
by larryfitzmauriceBuzzFeed Staff
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You know Whoopi Goldberg — but did you know that "Whoopi Goldberg" isn't her real name?!?
Rob Kim / Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
It's true — the iconic actor and comedian was born Caryn Elaine Johnson, and when she started performing, she went by Whoopi Goldberg. But why?
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images
Well, Whoopi's granddaughter, Amara Skye Dean, appears on tonight's episode of the ABC game show Claim to Fame, and during the episode (via Entertainment Weekly), she reveals the truth behind what makes Whoopi, well, Whoopi.
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images
So, during the episode, Amara tells an anecdote involving her grandmother and legendary comedians Robin Williams and Billy Crystal — specifically, about how all three of them got into a fart-off in an elevator. Yes, really.
Jason Merritt / FilmMagic / Getty Images
"I guess they were Dutch Oven-ing each other, just basking in the ambience of farts," Amara recounted, after saying that "Robin Williams was just farting his life away."
Sean Zanni / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
"My grandma got her name because she likes to fart a lot," Amara said. "So, whoopee cushions, farts. That's how Caryn Johnson became Whoopi Goldberg."
Lou Rocco / ABC via Getty Images
What a revelation! Although, to be clear, this isn't the first time we've gotten a whiff — sorry — of how Whoopi's love of flatulence inspired her stage name.
Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images / Getty Images
"When you're performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door," she explained to the New York Times in 2006. "So if you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion.' And that's where the name came from."
Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Audible
Hey, let's face it — farts are funny, and so is Whoopi Goldberg. It's a match made in flatulent heaven.
Mondadori Portfolio / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
You can watch the Claim to Fame clip here.
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