A Staten Island bakery is under fire after allegedly refusing Whoopi Goldberg’s order because of her political views.
Jill Halterman, owner of New York State’s oldest bakery in Great Kills, confirmed that she was the anonymous person Goldberg approached during Wednesday’s birthday celebration on “The View.” revealed.
She insists her failure to fulfill orders for dozens of Charlotte Ruth cakes, an old-fashioned treat also known as “Brooklyn Ambrosia,” was not politically motivated.
“They asked us and we had a problem with the boiler,” Halterman explained to Entertainment Weekly. “I said to Whoopi, ‘I can’t do it right now.’ There’s so much going on with my boiler. This building was built in 1930, so when she called, , I had no idea if I could (could) bake everything.”
The bakery’s third-generation owner told the magazine that Mr. Goldberg requested dessert two weeks ago, but the bakery’s advance order was denied, citing faulty equipment.
She confirmed that an unidentified woman received the 50 requested desserts from the bakery early Wednesday morning. Halterman said he didn’t want to make early commitments without knowing if he could fulfill the order.
According to the Staten Island Advance, Holterman said Thursday morning that her small business has been flooded with calls since Goldberg first announced that her order had been rejected. told the customer.
“I just want to run my own business,” she reportedly told the person on the phone. “That’s all I want to do.”
Goldberg explained his side of the story on Wednesday’s episode of “The View,” but did not name the bakery in question.
“Let me tell you this: Charlotte Luce has no political leanings, and the company that made these refused to make them for me,” she said. “They said the oven was broken, but people went to pick it up anyway, so I won’t say who made it.”
But this dessert’s distinctive packaging (a white paper push-up cup decorated with pink polka dots) alone may be enough to convince some viewers that this sweet treat came from Holterman’s Bakery on Staten Island. It was enough for me to realize that.
“Maybe they didn’t like my politics,” the 69th birthday girl, who leans Democratic, continued. “But that’s okay, because you know what? Listen, this is my mother’s celebration. Let’s choose these (desserts) and celebrate with me and my mother. Today is my birthday Thank you to everyone who celebrated.”
