Sunny Hostin says a phone call from Cynthia Erivo changed how she discussed the Cornell case
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Sunny Hostin revealed that Cynthia Erivo called her about backlash to her Cornell 7 comments, advising her to lead with empathy rather than the law.
Cynthia Erivo was in Paris when she decided Sunny Hostin needed a phone call.
Variety reports that Hostin disclosed the conversation on “The View’s” companion podcast, describing how the Oscar nominee reached out after a segment on the Cornell case generated significant backlash.
Hostin had walked viewers through why the district attorney declined to charge the seven accused men in 2024, explaining New York’s consent statute without initially stating that she disagreed with it. Critics read the segment as a defense of the accused.
Erivo’s framing was personal rather than accusatory. “Sis, I know you, and I know your heart and your life’s work has been about protecting women and children,” Hostin recalled her saying. “But the clip that I saw doesn’t reflect who you are.” Erivo then noted that both women share a blunt communication style, and that she herself has had to learn to deliver opinions in ways people can actually absorb.
Rather than opening with the statute, Erivo suggested leading with empathy so the legal explanation could land. Hostin said she restructured her next discussion of the case accordingly.
Her underlying argument was that the law itself is the problem. Under New York’s standard, voluntary intoxication that impairs judgment does not by itself establish inability to consent, which Hostin described as setting a nearly impossible bar for prosecutors already working beyond a reasonable doubt. She called the statute terrible and said it needs changing.
She also rejected the characterization of her remarks, noting she spent the bulk of her career prosecuting sex crimes and would never engage in victim-shaming.
The case involves seven Cornell students accused of drugging and assaulting a classmate in October 2024. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, has sued the men along with their fraternity, the university and her former sorority. Her attorney said Cornell’s internal investigation expelled only two of the accused, with others receiving suspensions, workshops or essay assignments.
Hollywood has responded loudly. Florence Pugh’s Instagram post urging men to lead conversations about complicity drew wide circulation, followed by condemnations from Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad, and others.