Abby Huntsman clarifies 'unbearable workplace' claims during appearance on 'The View'
Amy HanelineLess than a month after Abby Huntsman spoke out about a turbulent experience during her time on "The View," she returned to the show as a guest host Friday and clarified her claims.
The former Fox News anchor received a warm welcome from co-hosts Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and regular contributor Ana Navarro before she quickly jumped in to address her recent comments on why she left the show in January 2020.
"The problem with media today is it's so black and white. I am a very nuanced person as you guys know … my politics are nuanced. The way I live my life is more nuanced," she said. "My journey on this show wasn’t one extreme or the other. There were some tough days and there were executives here at the time and people here at the time that made too many of my days too difficult. But all of them are gone, and you guys lived a lot of that with me."
"We did," Behar agreed, adding that she does "miss some of them" and "the panel's perfect now."
Huntsman, 35, also added that she came back to the show Friday "because I have friends I will have for the rest of my life." She also praised the longtime staff that have been there from the beginning and "don't get involved in any of the nonsense."
"They are the best part of the show and it's why the show’s still iconic and they deserve all the praise in the world," she said.
More:Abby Huntsman says she felt 'pressure' to be controversial before 'The View' exit
During her time on the show, Huntsman also talked about her family’s scary battle with COVID-19 diagnoses, parenting her three young children and her new podcast "I Wish Somebody Told Me," also weighing in on topics like women’s abortion rights.
When Huntsman left the show early last year – right before the coronavirus reached the U.S. – she said she was departing to help run her father Jon Huntsman Jr.’s campaign for governor of Utah.
Nearly two years later, she admitted that while she did help her dad, the gig was "a great out."
"I knew the show did not reflect my values, when I say that I mean rewarding people for bad behavior," Huntsman said in the first episode of her podcast. "At that time there were executives in charge and that I did feel that we were kind of players in that game and it was about money and it was about ratings and the tabloids."
More:Candace Cameron Bure reflects on stress of co-hosting 'The View': 'It was so difficult'
When she raised concerns about how she felt to show executives she said she was often met with a "blank stare" or comments about how "lucky" she was to be there. She said after nothing changed, she had to "save" her mental health.
"They wanted me to wait a month and I said 'I'm out of here Friday'," she told her "I Wish Somebody Told Me" co-host Lauren Leeds. "It was just an unbearable culture by the end."
Days later, she elaborated on the "pressure" she felt to be controversial on "The View" during a sit-down with Haines on "The View: Behind the Table" podcast.
"Everything was about a soundbite and everything was, 'Who could say the most bombastic thing in the moment?' and that's not me," Huntsman said. "You need to make waves and headlines, and the only way to do that is to be more bombastic, to say things that were out there and sometimes a bit crazy."
A spokesperson for "The View" responded to Huntsman's allegations in a statement to USA TODAY on Oct. 28, noting her planned return to the show.
"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."
Other former "View" co-hosts Candace Cameron Bure and Meghan McCain, both of whom were also brought in to share conservative viewpoints, have also made claims of an unpleasant work environment.
Cameron Bure, who was on "The View" from 2015 to 2016, said she felt "emotional stress" while on the show during a podcast episode in October. Meghan McCain, who left "The View" this year, said "the environment on the show is toxic" in her new Audible memoir "Bad Republican."
"The View" has yet to announce a permanent replacement for McCain. When it kicked off its 25th season on Sept. 7, the show said in a statement it was "taking a little time to fill" the vacant co-host seat and "conservative voices" would fill in. They include former Utah Congresswoman Mia Love, Condoleezza Rice, Carly Fiorina and Gretchen Carlson.
Contributing: Elise Brisco, Sara M Moniuszko
