Whoopi Goldberg Is the Mom of an Amazing Daughter! Meet the ‘View’ Star’s Only Child Alex Martin
Whoopi Goldberg has so many blessings in her life, but her only daughter, Alex Martin, will always be her top priority. Aside from career accomplishments like her glamorous job on The View, her 1991 Oscar for Best Actress in Ghost and more, Whoopi is most proud of her role as a mom.
Who Is Whoopi Goldberg's Daughter Alex Martin?
The Sister Act star added the title of a mother to her lengthy resume during her marriage with her first husband, Alvin Martin. The former pair tied the knot in 1973 and welcomed their beloved child that same year. Sadly, Whoopi and Alvin went their separate ways after six years of marriage in 1979.
Although Whoopi is one of Hollywood's most accomplished stars nowadays, it wasn't necessarily like that for Alex growing up. The Color Purple star's daughter once recalled what it was like being on "food stamps" throughout her childhood.
"I know what it’s like because my mom has her [Welfare] cards framed," Alex candidly shared during a 2015 interview with the Grio. "Seriously … I remember that. I remember we had the one-room space and we slept in the bed together. I remember when we wanted to travel we would drive across the country in broke down bugs. We didn’t have the money to go to movies."
Fortunately, Whoopi's career took off in the mid-1980s following years of hard work and determination. After getting her first big break in The Color Purple in 1985, Whoopi went on to star in 1987's Fatal Beauty, 1990's Ghost, she hosted the Whoopi Goldberg Show throughout 1992 and 1993 and she also starred in 1992's Sister Act, among many more iconic films.
Despite her fame and superstardom, Whoopi and Alex remained as close as ever over the years. "We talk multiple times a day," the proud mom gushed about Alex during a 2015 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show. On The View in 2016, the Academy Award winner even called Alex her "best friend."
Aside from her marriage with her first husband, Alvin, Whoopi has walked down the aisle two other times. She was married to her second husband, David Claessen, from 1986 to 1988, as well as her third husband, Lyle Trachtenberg, from 1994 to 1995. She didn't welcome any kids with her former spouses.
In May 2024, Whoopi revealed one of the most important lessons she learned after becoming a parent.
“[She taught me] to pick my battles,” the TV host told People. “Yeah, that's what I learned from my child. Pick your battles and then fight those.”
“You don't have to fight every battle, because you can't win every one,” she added. “But the ones that you think have merit, pick those. That's what I learned from my baby girl.”
What Is Alex Martin's Job?
Since she's grown up, Alex has become quite successful in her own right. Besides following in her mom's famous footsteps by becoming an actress and appearing in 1993's Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, 1999's American Intellectuals and 2003's Strange as Angels, she's also a loving mom and grandma.
In 1989, Alex made Whoopi a grandmother for the first time when she welcomed her first child, Amarah Skye, from a previous relationship. Alex and her husband, Bernard Dean, who tied the knot in 2011, also became the parents of their two younger kids, Jerzey in 1995 and Mason in 1998.
In 2014, Amarah made them grandparents — and Whoopi a great-grandmother — when she gave birth to her baby girl, Charli Rose. "I have a crazy announcement. I am proud to tell you all and introduce you to the newest addition to my family," Whoopi revealed on The View at the time. "This is my great-granddaughter and she came into the world on Saturday."
Whoopi also shared a video of her feeding her great-granddaughter via Instagram. In it, she gushed about how happy she is to have a new member in the family. "Everyone meet the new addition to my family Charli Rose," she said. "I’m doing something I [haven't] done in 40 years. I’m actually feeding!"
In addition to acting in several successful films, Alex landed her own reality show in 2015. The series According to Alex was produced by her mother. Viewers got to see a new side of the former Miss Golden Globe as she focused on becoming a business owner while creating a nail polish line called Nail Buzz. The show aired for six episodes.
