Why Cynthia Erivo Called Sunny Hostin After Her Viral Cornell Remarks

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Cynthia Erivo gave Sunny Hostin a call after hearing the “View” co-host’s viral remarks on the investigation into the alleged sexual assault at Cornell University.

Hostin revealed on Tuesday’s “Behind the Table” podcast episode that the “Wicked” star told her that the clip she’d seen of her take on the “Cornell 7” case last week didn’t “reflect who” she is.

At the time, Erivo explained, “Sis, I know you and I know your heart and your life’s work has been about protecting women and children.”

Erivo, 39, pointed out that she and Hostin, 57, are both “blunt” people but that the latter needs “to learn to give people her opinion in a way that they can receive it rather than just be blunt.”

The actress, who has “spent a lot of time” with the lawyer as they were “both in the same sorority,” advised Hostin to “lead with empathy … instead of leading with the law” so that “people can be [open to] receiving the message about the law.”

Hostin added that her “good friend” made the phone call from Paris, where she is “working on a movie about consent and sexual assault.”

Erivo’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

In Hostin’s initial comments during the talk show’s Sept. 29 episode, she spoke about the seven fraternity brothers accused of gang-raping Jane Doe in October 2024 — who have denied any wrongdoing.

While Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to bring charges against the men at the time, his office is revisiting the case to consider charges in the wake of the alleged victim filing a civil lawsuit against Cornell University and the Chi Phi fraternity on Sept. 16.

Hostin stated last month that “there is no way, according to her statement in 2024, that any prosecutor would’ve brought forth a case.”

She explained, “Under New York law, voluntary intoxication or drug use that merely impairs judgment does not legally constitute an inability to consent to sexual activity. … If you voluntarily ingest drugs, voluntarily take alcohol, you can agree to have threesomes.”

The lawyer clarified this on Monday’s podcast, insisting she is an “empathetic person” and was not “defending” the members of the fraternity.

Hostin said she sees “things, when it comes to the law, sort of black and white” and that, in her head, “the morality of what happened [was] very different from the legality of what happened.”

She stated, “Those are two different things.”

Hostin, therefore, called it her “job, in a sense,” to “apply the facts as [she] know[s] them to the law” — especially since her fellow co-hosts had spoken “emotionally” about the topic.

She pointed out that she did “speak about the moral issue” later in the episode once she was “comfortable” having given her legal perspective.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.

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