‘The View’s Panel Agrees Jussie Smollett Controversy “Backfired Big Time on Him”

It was only a matter of time before the women of The View sounded off on the Jussie Smollett controversy. On Thursday morning, just hours after Smollett was arrested for filing a false police report, The View‘s co-hosts discussed the case with a sense of sheer awe. The panelists agreed that the allegations against Smollett are baffling — police believe that he staged his January 29 attack because he was unhappy with his Empire salary — particularly from a business standpoint. Joy Behar said that actors “dissatisfied with [their] salary” should use their “agent” to negotiate, not “go to this time of extreme,” while guest panelist Ana Navarro said that the alleged hoax failed, as “he’s gonna have no salary now.”

The View‘s discussion began with a clip from the Chicago PD’s Thursday press conference, during which superintendent Eddie Johnson gave an impassioned speech about Smollett’s “publicity stunt.” Said Behar, “I don’t want to make light of this, but when you’re dissatisfied with your salary, you have an agent for that, and a lawyer. To go to this type of extreme for a salary conversation is ridiculous.” Added Navarro, “He’s gonna have no salary now.” The audience laughed, and Behar agreed that the situation seems to have “backfired big time” on the Empire star.

Co-host and lawyer Sunny Hostin explained that now that the actor has “been indicted by a grand jury” and arrested, “the process begins.” Hostin added that the Chicago Police Department is “rightfully” angry, and she lamented that they “spent probably hundred of man hours and police resources that could’ve been used investigating real crime.” Her voice wavering, she continued, “This hoax, this thing that [Smollett] did is going to have a chilling effect now, and people won’t come forward.”

Conservative firebrand Meghan McCain later brought up Smollett’s GMA interview, saying, “The reason why this started getting so much attention is because he brought politics into this.” In the interview, Smollett said he may have been attacked because he’s a vocal Trump critic, but McCain disputed this idea. “I just assume every actor everywhere hates Trump and hates Republicans,” she said. “He wasn’t original. So it never made sense to me, why you? That means all of Hollywood is going to be attacked in one way or another.” Added McCain, “I don’t understand why victimhood — why he would think that making himself the victim in any way would be the way to go, as you said, for your salary dispute.”

Echoing Hostin, McCain noted that the situation will harm victims moving forward. “There has done really long-term damage for real people who are victims of hate crimes, every hate crime coming forward,” she said.

Watch the entire discussion in the clip above.

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