Sunny Hostin Reacts After ABC Exec Allegedly Called Her Low Rent

Appearing on “The View” this morning, Sunny Hostin addressed being the target of allegedly racist comments by someone inside ABC News.

Over the weekend, ABC News senior vice president of talent and business affairs Barbara Fedida was placed on leave after being accused of making racist remarks about Hostin, Robin Roberts and other Black journalists, anchors and hosts at the network.

Though the comment didn’t make writer Yashar Ali’s piece in The Huffington Post, he claimed in a tweet that Fredida referred to Hostin as “low rent.”

“I think I should say something. 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,” said Hostin on Monday.

She went on to reference more comments allegedly made by Fredida — who is also accused of making a remark about picking cotton during contract talks with Robin Roberts — and said the “low rent” criticism stung as someone who’s “been very open about having grown up in public housing.”

The alleged behavior as a whole, she said, “tells me that systemic racism touches everything and everyone in our society, regardless of social stature. No one is immune.”

“It’s the type of racism Black people deal with every single day and it has to stop,” she continued. “And I look forward to the results of what I hear is going to be an independent, external investigation. I felt very loved and supported by my colleagues, I felt supported by all of you. I know Meghan and I had at least an hour conversation this weekend. Whoopi, you were so supportive. Joy, you were so supportive. My executive producers were so supportive and I thank you all for that.”

“But again, this has got to stop,” she concluded. “I look forward to changes, if all of this is true, at ABC and our country.”

After Joy Behar said she was “very sorry” to see how Sunny had been hurt, she doubled down on her support of her cohost and said “this type of thing has to be rooted out.”

Meghan McCain echoed that sentiment, saying, “All of us have zero tolerance for any kind of racism or intolerance, period.”

“Sunny and I did have a long conversation this weekend. She’s in a lot of pain and I am disgusted by these allegations,” McCain continued. “I just want to make one thing really clear: There’s a lot of people who say a lot of things about these hosts and this show in the press, but when you attack one of us, you attack all of us.”

She added, “I stand and support Sunny throughout all of this in any way that you need. This one’s a tough blow.”

Whoopi Goldberg, however, gave Fredida the benefit of the doubt by saying we should see what the investigation concludes before making final judgement.

“I know Barbara Fredida and I don’t think she’s a racist,” she said. “Everything I know about her doesn’t say she has this in her. But I will say that one of the things that everyone should always make sure we say — and I say it all the time — is let’s find out. Let’s find out. If it’s true, she’s gone.”

“Having lived through this kind of thing where someone accused me of doing something I didn’t do, I’m always first and foremost to say, okay let’s find out what really is the truth,” she continued. “There’s too much stuff happening in the world, there’s no reason for anybody to be in this kind of pain. All you racists out there, we know you and if you turn out to be in the walls of the building, we’re tearing the building down. You’re coming out.”

Over the weekend, ABC News called the allegations “deeply disturbing” and promised to investigate while putting Fredida on leave. “These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.”

Fredida, meanwhile, said she is “proud of my decades of work hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.”