The View’s Sunny Hostin is ‘Surprised’ When Former Hosts Talk Trash

Sunny Hostin isn’t mad — she’s just disappointed in some of her former daytime comrades.

Hostin, 55, has been a full-time co-host on The View since 2016, which means she’s seen plenty of women cycle in and out of the long-running morning chat show. 

Despite some widely-publicized exits, however, Hostin exclusively told Us Weekly, “I’m always surprised when people speak negatively about our show, if I’m being honest.”

“You are part of a sisterhood,” Hostin said. “It’s really special.”

Related: ‘The View’ Cohosts Through the Years and Why They Left

Since The View premiered in August 1997, more than 20 women have had permanent roles as cohosts on the ABC morning talk show. The series, which was created by Barbara Walters, features a multi-generational panel that conducts interviews and discusses the news of the day, ranging from politics to entertainment. The original lineup was comprised […]

Hostin didn’t name any names, but she did note that she stays in touch with former View co-hosts Sherri Shepherd, Paula Faris and Candace Cameron Bure. 

“We are all close, regardless of our personal views,” Hostin said. “We leave all of that at the table. So I’m always surprised when someone says, ‘I don’t like that person.’ Because it’s never personal.”

While Hostin didn’t mention her specifically,  Meghan McCain — who Hostin co-hosted with from 2017 to 2021 — has been particularly outspoken about her time on The View.

On a November 2023 episode of her podcast “Meghan McCain Has Entered the Chat”, McCain, 39, said being on The View was “the most miserable I was in my entire life.”

Former moderator Rosie O’Donnell called her two stints on The View “not the best use of my talent” during a 2023 interview with Brooke Shields on Shields’ podcast “Now What?”

“It’s not something I’d ever do again,” O’Donnell, 62, said. 

Michelle Collins, who co-hosted The View for just one season in 2015-16, said she had “light PTSD” from the experience during an April appearance on the “Las Culturistas” podcast.

Hostin further explained that, while the hosts may sometimes bicker, their conversations are always rooted in respect — which was an edict established by The View creator Barbara Walters. 

“Barbara Walters made sure I knew that when I joined,”  Hostin said. “Whoopi [Goldberg] says that all the time. I’ve said that to Alyssa [Farah Griffin]. I’m going to argue you down to the ground, and then we’re going to go out for martinis and it’s going to be okay.”

She continued, “It disappoints me when viewers think that we don’t like each other, because we do.”

In essence, Hostin said, an environment like The View doesn’t provide an alternative. 

“We’re talking about our families. We’ve had co-hosts talk about struggles with mental health,” Hostin articulated. “We’ve had co-hosts talk about weight loss, weight gain. We’ve had co-hosts talk about divorce. Imagine if you get off that stage and it’s not a safe space. It would be an impossible job.”

In addition to her daytime duties, Hostin is also an accomplished author. Summer on Highland Beach, the third in Hostin’s New York Times bestselling Summer Beach series, is available Tuesday, May 28.