Whoopi Goldberg has defended Christian Bale's curse-laden movie set rant, insisting she has snapped in similar circumstances.

An audio clip of intense Bale's four-minute tirade on the set of the the new Terminator movie was leaked online on Tuesday.

The Welsh actor has been criticised for the abusive language he piled on the movie's director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, who distracted him during a scene by walking onset twice.

But Oscar winner Goldberg insists the critics should give Bale a break, admitting she has reacted similarly under pressure.

Speaking on talk show The View, which she co-hosts, Goldberg says, "We don't know if this is at the end of the day. We don't know how many hours he's been working. And it's tough. I too have gone off at people."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)