Whoopi Goldberg nearly died of pneumonia

Television personality Whoopi Goldberg appeared in a pretaped segment of ABC’s ‘The View’ on Friday to share an update on her health, specifically her nearly fatal, monthlong battle with pneumonia.

“I am here. I am up and moving around. Not as fast as I’d like to be, but I am OK, I’m not dead,” Goldberg told her costars and viewers.

The 63-year-old Oscar winner said that she contracted the respiratory infection in both lungs and became septic, meaning her body began an extreme chain reaction to combat it, which can sometimes be life-threatening.

“Yes, I came very, very close to leaving the Earth. Good news: I didn’t,” the Emmy winner said.

Goldberg, who joined the polarising daytime talk show in 2005, has been out sick for weeks and last appeared on ‘The View’ on February 5. She added that she was grateful for the outpouring of support, even from people who aren’t typically her fans, and hoped to be back on the show soon.

It is unclear when she’ll return to the programme.