Cynthia Erivo Urged Sunny Hostin to ‘Lead With Empathy’ After Cornell 7 Backlash
Hostin recently shared details of Erivo’s phone call to her after her comments went viral.
Cynthia Erivo reportedly stepped in to explain to The View co-host Sunny Hostin why her comments about the Cornell 7 sexual assault case weren’t being received well.
During a recent episode of the Behind the Table podcast, Hostin explained that Erivo—her friend and fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister—called her after seeing the viral clip that sparked online backlash.
“Sis, I know you and I know your heart and your life’s work has been about protecting women and children,” Hostin said the Wicked star told her. “But the clip that I saw doesn’t reflect who you are.”
The backlash began after Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, discussed why she believed prosecutors had not initially brought charges against the seven Cornell fraternity members who have been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a fellow student in 2024. Hostin’s remarks revolved around New York’s high bar for proving assault in instances that involve voluntary intoxication. This fact-oriented delivery led to accusations of victim-blaming, when Hostin says her intention was to explain the law itself so people understand why, in her opinion, it’s “really terrible and needs to be changed.”
According to Hostin, Erivo’s call helped her grasp that, regardless of her intention, she went about discussing the case in the wrong way.
“[Erivo] said she’s had to learn to give people her opinion in a way that they can receive it rather than just be blunt,” she recalled. “Instead of leading with the law, I need to lead with empathy so that people can receive the message about the law.”
Although Erivo doesn’t appear to have publicly commented on the Cornell case specifically, she recently discussed the importance of discussing sexual violence and the legal system—the topic at the center of her new film, Prima Facie—during an interview with Reuters.
“Things can feel like they’re permanent if no one does anything to shift or change them,” she said. “The more we talk about it, the more we see it for what it is, the easier it will become for us to change things.”
New York prosecutors have reopened the investigation against the Cornell 7 after widespread outrage surrounding the accusations online.
