Is it a red flag if a man has only had four sexual partners? The current Hollywood 'debate'.

Is it a red flag if a man has only had four sexual partners by the age of 40? 

That was the subject of a brief dispute between actors Rachel Bilson and Whoopi Goldberg this week who appeared to have opposing views on the subject.

On the latest episode of her podcast Broader Issues with Rachel Bilson, Rachel sat down with director, actor and writer Nadine Crocker to talk about a range of issues, including dating in midlife.

Watch: Rachel Bilson interviews Nadine Crocker in a clip from her latest episode of Broader Issues. Post continues below.

“This is gonna sound so judgmental, but if a dude is in his 40s and he [has] only slept with four women…,” she said she would find that “a little weird.”

She did however make an allowance for someone who had been in long-term relationships.

“Maybe he’s been in decade [long] relationships, totally respectable,” she said to her co-host Olivia Allen and producer Rob Holysz. 

“But if he’s single in his 40s and it’s only four and he’s never been in the long-term... that’s an issue.”

Later in the episode, Rachel admitted that maybe it's not "fair" to make a judgment on someone's low sexual partner tally and that "a person is a person." 

But some listeners clearly didn't make it this far in the two-hour-long episode and only her initial comments on the topic went viral. Leading to Hollywood icon Whoopi Goldberg entering the chat and having her say on The View. 

"I'm sorry, I think it's very odd that you're concerned that he's had sexual partners — any sexual partners. Why is it your business?" The Oscar-winning 67-year-old said during a segment on the famous US talk show. 

"Listen, men, traditionally, were taught to have many sexual partners. That's how it was. Men could go and do whatever they wanted to do, and women were not supposed to. Now that has been shifting, and young women have been bitching about, you know, 'Why are you telling me what I should be [doing?]' Now, it's happening, and you're mad. I don't understand."

Rachel clarified her position on the 'debate' to Entertainment Weekly.

"I want to say that I've been a fan of Whoopi's for a very long time, so when I saw the tagline that she criticised something I said, I of course was concerned."

She explained how her podcast is a very "open" and safe space for Rachel and her guests to discuss everything honestly and that even on this episode her thoughts on the subject change as they talk.

"It was a flippant comment that I was just talking with friends, and then I retracted it, because even talking about it now, I'm like, I don't actually believe that," Bilson told EW. 

"That's why I think it's important to stand up for it and clarify."

"The point I get across is that it doesn't matter, and maybe in the past I would've looked at it [judgmentally], but I wouldn't do that anymore. I made it clear that I don't want to sound judgmental, it was important that that point get across, not what I said initially.

"I think it's important to hear a whole conversation before casting your own judgment or criticism on something."

Even Rachel's co-host Olivia Allen stepped in to confirm that there wasn't a debate after all. Or at least not about the number of sexual partners a man has after 40.

"The fact that Rachel didn't edit to make it present a certain way is a true reflection of what actual conversations in real life are," Olivia said to EW.

 That's one of our values, and I think that if we are going to continue to do that, that people should listen to the whole episode before passing judgment." 

Feature Image: Getty/ Canva.