‘The View’ co-host Sunny Hostin name-drops A-lister who phoned her over ‘blunt’ Cornell 7 remarks

See more of our coverage in your search results. Cynthia Erivo gave Sunny Hostin a call after hearing the “View” co-host’s viral remarks on the investigation into the alleged sexual assault at Cornell University. Hostin revealed on Tuesday’s “Behind the Table” podcast episode that the “Wicked” star told her that the clip she’d seen of her take on the “Cornell 7” case last week didn’t “reflect who” she is. At the time, Erivo explained, “Sis, I know you and I know your heart and your life’s work has been about protecting women and children.” Cynthia Erivo (pictured above in October 2017) gave Sunny Hostin a phone call over the latter’s statements on “The View” about the alleged Cornell University sexual assault. Penske Media via Getty Images The co-host told “Behind the Table” podcast listeners Monday that the actress is a “good friend” — and didn’t think the viral clip “reflect[ed] who” Hostin is. the View/ Youtube Erivo, 39, pointed out that she and Hostin, 57, are both “blunt” people but that the latter needs “to learn to give people her opinion in a way that they can receive it rather than just be blunt.” The actress, who has “spent a lot of time” with the lawyer as they were “both in the same sorority,” advised Hostin to “lead with empathy … instead of leading with the law” so that “people can be [open to] receiving the message about the law.” Hostin added that her “good friend” made the phone call from Paris, where she is “working on a movie about consent and sexual assault.” “I know you and I know your heart and your life’s work has been about protecting women and children,” the Tony winner (pictured above on Oct. 4) said. Getty Images for Valentino Erivo advised “blunt” Hostin on how to “lead with empathy.” the View/ Youtube Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Erivo’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. In Hostin’s initial comments during the talk show’s Sept. 29 episode, she spoke about the seven fraternity brothers accused of gang-raping Jane Doe in October 2024 — who have denied any wrongdoing. While Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to bring charges against the men at the time, his office is revisiting the case to consider charges in the wake of the alleged victim filing a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and the Chi Phi fraternity on Sept. 16. Hostin stated last month that “there is no way, according to her statement in 2024, that any prosecutor would’ve brought forth a case.” Erivo (pictured above in November 2024) made the phone call from Paris, where she is “working on a movie about consent and sexual assault.” Getty Images for Universal Pictures In Monday’s episode, Hostin clarified the controversial comments she made during the Sept. 29 episode of the talk show. the View/ Youtube She explained, “Under New York law, voluntary intoxication or drug use that merely impairs judgment does not legally constitute an inability to consent to sexual activity. … If you voluntarily ingest drugs, voluntarily take alcohol, you can agree to have threesomes.” The lawyer clarified this on Monday’s podcast, insisting she is an “empathetic person” and was not “defending” the members of the fraternity. Hostin said she sees “things, when it comes to the law, sort of black and white” and that, in her head, “the morality of what happened [was] very different from the legality of what happened.” Last month, she broke down for viewers why prosecutors did not bring “forth a case” after the alleged gang-rape in 2024. the View/ Youtube Hostin (pictured above on May 29) insisted on Monday that she is an “empathetic” person and was not “defending” the men who have been accused. ABC via Getty Images She stated, “Those are two different things.” Hostin, therefore, called it her “job, in a sense,” to “apply the facts as [she] know[s] them to the law” — especially since her fellow co-hosts had spoken “emotionally” about the topic. She pointed out that she did “speak about the moral issue” later in the episode once she was “comfortable” having given her legal perspective. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. 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