“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin revealed on the show’s “Behind the Table” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) that Cynthia Erivo called her to voice concerns about Hostin’s viral segment discussing the Cornell 7 sexual assault case. The “Wicked” Oscar nominee explained to Hostin why she was receiving backlash for her remarks.
Hostin was accused of defending the seven accused men at the center of the case when she told viewers last week that “it’s important to understand why the prosecutor didn’t file charges” against them in 2024. She then explained the law without initially acknowledging that she disagreed with it, sparking outrage online.
“She allowed other boys and consented to other boys snorting ketamine out of her body, and under New York law, voluntary intoxication or use of drugs that merely impair judgment does not legally constitute an inability to consent to sexual activity,” Hostin said last week in his legal opinion of the accuser, a woman named Jane Doe. “This means that if you voluntarily ingest drugs or alcohol, you can agree to have threesomes – which in his statement he agreed to have two separate threesomes.”
Hostin admitted on the “Behind the Table” podcast that she “ran the law” while discussing the Cornell 7 case on “The View” because “everyone talked about it emotionally,” adding, “I needed, I felt, to take us back to this New York law, which is really terrible and needs to be changed.”
The host quickly received a call from Cynthia Erivo, who was in Paris to work on a new project. “She called me and said, ‘Sister, I know you and I know your heart and your life’s work has been dedicated to protecting women and children. But the clip I saw doesn’t reflect who you are,'” Hostin said of Erivo’s message. “She then said, ‘I’m a direct person and you’re a direct person.’ That’s why we get along so well, because we say stupid things when we talk. She said she had to learn to give people her opinion in a way they could receive it rather than just being blunt.
Hostin said Erivo shared the following advice: “Instead of leading with the law, I have to lead with empathy so that people can receive the message about the law. That’s why the next time we talked about it, I led with that so that people could receive the facts that, in New York, if you are intentionally drunk, you will have to pass out completely, say no, or you will have to be involuntarily drugged to prove sexual assault.”
“I have been accused of defending these young men and shaming the victims, which I would never do since I spent most of my career prosecuting sex crimes,” Hostin added. “So I was a little fascinated by how people received the information that I gave, that ultimately the law in New York needs to be changed because the bar is very high. In New York, once someone is intentionally intoxicated, to prove sexual assault. It’s already beyond a reasonable doubt, and then you add that on top of that, the burden becomes so high. It’s almost impossible to prove sexual assault.”
The Cornell 7 is the name given online to the seven students accused of drugging and gang raping their classmate (Jane Doe) at Cornell University in October 2024. The woman is now suing her alleged attackers as well as their fraternity, Cornell University, her former sorority and more. Cornell’s initial investigation into the alleged crime resulted in the deportation of only two of the accused men, according to the woman’s attorney. Other students received lesser sanctions, such as temporary suspensions, workshops or writing assignments.
The case attracted widespread attention in Hollywood. Florence Pugh went viral on Instagram for urging men to speak out and “have conversations about how we change the tolerance and complicity of this behavior… This is truly the time we need our men to be as horrified and sickened as we are.” »
After Pugh’s post, several other celebrities such as Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad, Hudson Williams and more also took to social media to condemn the Cornell 7. “Arrest them,” “Heated Rivalry” star Williams wrote on her Instagram Story while sharing a photo of the seven accused men. “Fuck them and fuck Cornell too!”
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