Abby Huntsman Reveals She Left The View Because of ‘Unbearable Culture’: They’re ‘Rewarding People for Bad Behavior’

Rob Kim/Getty Images
Abby Huntsman has revealed why she left The View after just two years, pinning her exit on the daytime talk show’s “unbearable culture.”
In her new podcast I Wish Somebody Told Me, which she hosts with friend and producer Lauren Leeds, Huntsman blamed her decision to leave The View on the series’ workplace environment.
“I knew [The View] did not reflect my values, when I say that I mean rewarding people for bad behavior,” she said, later adding, “It was just an unbearable culture by the end.”
“I’m 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,” Huntsman continued. “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.”
Hunstman alleged that executives told her to deny on camera that there were any workplace issues, which she refused to do, adding, “I was sad to leave them and I was sad to walk away. But true to form and what made me feel even better about my decision was the way it was handled on the way out.”
At the time of her exit, Huntsman claimed she was going to help her father Jon Huntsman Jr. with his gubernatorial campaign.
“When I was walking out of the building that day, I was living again,” she said of the departure. “I could breathe and feel myself breathing. I was present and I hadn’t been present for the almost two years I was there.”
Huntsman worked as one of The View’s conservative co-hosts along with Meghan McCain during her relatively brief 2018-20 tenure. McCain similarly pinned her exit on “toxic, direct and purposeful hostility” she received from co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.
A spokesperson for The View issued a statement to Huntsman’s comments, which was obtained by USA Today.
“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,” the spokesperson said. “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.”