Sunny Hostin got candid about recent allegations against ABC News executive, Barbara Fedida. Over the weekend, Huffington Post broke a story that alleged that Barbara made a series of racists and derogatory comments towards and against current and former ABC News staff and talent including Sunny, Kendis Gibson, Robin Roberts and Mara Schiavocampo. During a segment of The View, Sunny voiced her disappointment about the alleged comments made about her and other top employees. “I think I should say something,” she said.”
© GettyImages“It was a tough weekend for me and I was really disappointed and saddened and hurt when I learned about the racist comments that were made allegedly about me, my colleagues and my dear friends.” She continued: “Because if true, to reference Robin Roberts, who is one of the most respected and beloved journalists in our country, as ‘picking cotton,‘. to reference me, someone who has been very open about growing up in public housing, as being ‘low rent,’ to reference Kendis Gibson, who was my office mate at ABC and now is an MSNBC anchor, to say that he isn’t worth paying as much as ABC would pay for toilet paper.”
“The fact that Mara Schiavocampo, who is a friend and former colleague at ABC, that she has an NDA in place and can’t talk about her experiences at ABC, tells me that systemic racism touches everything and everyone in our society, regardless of social stature.” Sunny, 51, who has been a co-host on The View since 2016, doubled down on her comments adding, “No one is immune. It‘s the type of racism that Black people deal with every single day and it has to stop.”
In response to the allegations, ABC revealed that they are conducting an independent internal investigation and that Barbara has been placed on administrative leave until it is concluded. In addition to the support from the network, Sunny is feeling the love from her collogues.
© GettyImages“I felt very loved and supported by my colleagues, “she shared. “I felt supported by all of you. I know Meghan [McCain] and I had at least an hour conversation this weekend. Whoopi [Goldberg], you were so supportive. Joy [Behar], you were so supportive. My executive producers on the show were so supportive and I thank you all for that.”
For Sunny, she hopes that the experience bring about a much needed change in society. “But again, this has got to stop. And I just look forward to changes, if all this is true, here at ABC and just in our country.“
