Abby Huntsman Reveals the Real Reason Behind Her The View Exit

While Abby Huntsman told viewers she was leaving The View to work on her dad's gubernatorial campaign, that was not the whole story. Over a year later, the former co-host is sharing her side.

By Samantha Schnurr Oct 29, 2021 2:10 PMTags

Nearly two years since her daytime talk show exit, Abby Huntsman is sharing her point of view

The former View co-host, who sat at the table for two seasons before her departure in January 2020, confirmed it was an allegedly "toxic" environment at the longtime ABC show that spurred her to leave. During the premiere episode of her and Lauren Leeds' podcast, I Wish Somebody Told Me, Huntsman recalled being asked to go see a talent coach after a few weeks into her new hosting gig. She said she was told all of the new hosts see a talent coach, but eventually Page Six reported on the fact that she had seen one. 

"I knew right in that moment when I saw that article it came from within," she said, "so they send you to a talent coach and then they leak it about you." 

While the mom of three said she would "so badly want to scream" at the View table and tell the panel to "stop acting so insane" sometimes, "It took the stronger part of me to hold back. The stronger part to try and be gracious." However, she pointed out "holding back" is not rewarded behavior. "You don't trend on Twitter," she said, "for being that way."

Ultimately, she cited joining her dad Jon Huntsman Jr.'s gubernatorial campaign as the reason she gave viewers for why she was leaving. It was true, but not the whole story. 

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"It was a great out because I had thought about it for a long time and I knew that the show did not reflect my values. When I say that, I mean rewarding people for bad behavior," she explained. "I am never going to be someone that writes a tell-all book—that's just not me—and I'm not going to put names on things, but at that time, there were executives in charge that I did feel like we were sort of players in their game and it was about money and it was about ratings and the tabloids and in order to keep that show hot, you had to just let it all continue on."

She elaborated, "You would see people act in ways around you that was not OK, that was very much part of the toxic environment that existed, but because it was a show like The View, it was like this is just what happens and here we were going out on the air criticizing other shows or other people for doing it the wrong way or for a toxic culture and yet I'm sitting right there like, I'm in the middle of this. We can't say anything."

(Walt Disney Television/Heidi Gutman)

She also revealed she went to speak with executives many times, telling them the environment was not sustainable and that things needed to change. "They would every single time look at me with a completely blank stare and essentially say, 'You're lucky to be here. This is the show,'" she said. Instead, she claimed they didn't want it to change, but also noted some of those people she's referencing no longer work there. 

Ultimately, Huntsman was ashamed to be a part of the culture there and gave executives notice that she was leaving by the end of the week. However, after making the announcement, leaks about a toxic environment popped up, which she claimed executives wanted her to correct with an on-air statement that they would also read. She refused. "I'm not going to go out on the air and lie when you all know and I told you the reason that I'm leaving is because of the culture here. Because I don't feel protected," she recalled telling executives. "I'm not happy. I need to leave."

ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua

Before walking out for the show that day, Huntsman said she got a text from an executive asking if she decided to read the statement. When she said no, Huntsman allegedly got a follow-up text that read, "That was a mistake." Shortly after, her sister sent her a Daily Mail article claiming Huntsman was going to be fired anyway. 

"I did feel walking out that building that day, I was living again," she described. "I could breathe and feel myself breathing. I was present and I hadn't been present for almost two years that I was there."

In response to her comments, a View spokesperson told E! News, "Twenty-two incredible women have had a seat on the panel and have worked in collaboration with the dedicated group of professionals on our staff. Abby will always remain a part of The View family and we look forward to continuing the conversation with her when she visits next month."