Whoopi Goldberg reveals the controversial place she spread her mother's ashes
Whoopi Goldberg has opened up about where she scattered her mom's ashes and why 'no one [else] should do it'.
Goldberg's mom, the nurse and teacher Emma Johnson, passed away on August 29, 2010 after experiencing a stroke.
The 68-year-old actor - real name Caryn Elaine Johnson - has since spoken about the 'special' arrangements she made for scattering her mother's ashes.
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Goldberg found out her mom had died while starring in a West End run of Sister Act the musical, she explained in her memoir Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me released earlier this year.
She was in her dressing room when she received a call from her brother, Clyde, informing her of the devastating news.
Goldberg recalled being with Dame Maggie Smith at the time - who starred alongside her in the Sister Act movie - who stayed with her until she went to the airport to fly back to her family.
And during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Myers, the actor, comedian, TV host and author opened up about the 'special' way she said goodbye to her mom, forewarning the audience that 'no one should do this,' before reiterating again: "Don't do this."
Goldberg revealed she decided to scatter her mom's ashes in a location she 'loved'.
However, the precise location her mother enjoyed going to, well, let's just say it's not exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find ashes, with Goldberg revealing she took her mom to Disneyland.
The actor continued: "When I was a kid, the World's Fair was here and it was the introduction of Small World. And she loved Small World.
"So, in the Small World ride periodically, I'd scoop some of her up and I'd do this [Pretends to sneeze] Oh. I said: 'My God, this cold is getting worse and worse.'
"And then we got over to the flowers where it says 'Disneyland'. And I was like: 'Oh, look at that'. [Cue another fake sneeze]."
Unable to keep it to herself, Goldberg admitted she did eventually tell Disneyland what she did.
"I wanted to make sure, actually, that I hadn't done something that was dangerous," she continued. "It hadn't occurred to me but there's a reason they don't want ashes just floating around."
Earlier on in the interview, Goldberg joked about smoking her mom, continuing later on: "I don't think she'd have wanted me to smoke her.
"My brother maybe, but not. Yeah. Because I don't have either one of them."
Goldberg explained her graphic novel The Change - which was released earlier this month - is 'really a love letter to parents and the people who raised [her]'.
She resolved: "The people who raised me to be a halfway decent person. I'm not always decent, not always, but halfway."
UNILAD has contacted Disneyland for comment.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.
Topics: Celebrity, Disneyland, Parenting, Whoopi Goldberg
Poppy Bilderbeck