The View co-host Sunny Hostin accuses ABC of racist censorship – TheGrio

Sunny Hostin detailed claims of racism from ABC in her new book and shared how the network attempted to have the narrative removed.

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In the forward for her new memoir, I Am These Truths, the lawyer opened up on the experiences at the network including a racist incident that resulted in the firing of an executive. In June, Huffpost published a report claiming Barbara Fedida, an ABC News executive in charge of talent, made multiple insensitive remarks toward Black network talent such as Robin Roberts, and was the subject of over a dozen human resource complaints.

The Los Angeles Times reported Fedida allegedly used the term low rentto describe Hostin. After an investigation, the executive lost her job, however, the damage was already done. The View co-host used her platform on the show to describe the feeling of being targeted by racist comments.

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, Hostin said. 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 whos been very open about having grown up in public housing, as being low rent tells me that systemic racism touches everything and everyone in our society regardless of social stature.

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Hostin expanded on these feelings in her books forward. Entertainment Tonight reports at the time of the expose, her memoir had already gone to the publisher. She called her agent and decided to add her reality deliberately to the books forward.

Ive got a book coming out. And the book had already gone to the publisher. And I called my agent and I said, Ive got to write about this and I want it to be at the very beginning of the book. Because this is my truth as I sit here today Because this is the truth that Im living right now. And if thats gonna help any woman, help anybody thats going through this during this time in our country, I gotta do it. And he said, You better do it. And I literally wrote that foreword in about 15 to 20 minutes, she said to the outlet.

According to The Daily Beast, she penned claims that she made less than her White counterparts, and initially had a dressing room on a different floor from therest of the cast.

Her proclaimed truth was not told without pushback. Hostin sought legal aid when ABC pushed back against segments of her book.

I was surprised that what was asked of me was to change the truth, to change my story, Hostin remarked on Andy Cohen Live on Monday.

I think its one thing if I got something wrong and, to be clear, they caught things that were wrong. Timing things, and direct quotes that should have been checked more closely. And I appreciated those things, but then they wanted me to change, things like things that I experienced. Discriminatory things, and I just felt that that wasnt fair because the title of the book is I Am These Truths, she continued.

Hostin revealed the racist sentiments in ABCs alleged attempted censorship in the forward.

My television agent and my book agent emailed me to express confusion that a news organization would try to censor a Puerto Rican, African American womans story while they were covering global demonstrations demanding racial equity, the forward stated.

One of them even calculated the percentages of people of color on the executive boards at Disney, ABC Entertainment, and ABC Newsaccording to him those figures ranged from 7 to 12 percent. I asked my attorneys to intervene and thankfully ABC relented. I didnt want to believe that racism played a part in their revision requestswe were just dotting some is and crossing some ts, right?

Beyond the ABC saga, I Am These Truths explores her Puerto Rican and Black upbringing in the Bronx, and her professional journey as a federal prosecutor and journalist. Hostin shared with Bustle she was nervous to pen a memoir and received encouragement from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

When I had [the memoir] in front of me, I constantly had these moments when I realized, Wow, this experience was not great. That was a failure, but I turned that failure into a lesson, which is an important tool, she said to the outlet.

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The View co-host Sunny Hostin accuses ABC of racist censorship - TheGrio