View co-host Sherri Shepherd drew a lot of ire yesterday when quotes were published from an interview she gave to a black Christian women’s magazine in which she claimed she had more abortions than she would like to count and that she sometimes prayed for televangelists to “save” Barbara Walters.
On “saving” Barbara Walters: It was a joke
Shepherd said she was joking about saving Walters and that she called Walters personally ahead of the interview being published to apologize. She said Walters was in France at the time and she laughed and said “I’m already in Heaven, I’m in Paris.” Shepherd also apologized again on air to Walters, who was not on the panel that day. Walters grew up with Jewish parents, but her father was an atheist and she was not raised going to temple or church. Walters did a piece on religion in 2005 in which she explored her own background and belief system. She said she was most affected by a visit with the Dalai Lama, after which she felt at peace for a couple of weeks. She has not been “saved” in the Christian sense.
On having more abortions than she could count: it was taken out of context
Many of you pointed out in the comments that Jaybird’s title that Shepherd had more abortions than she could count was technically inaccurate, because she had said it was more than she would like to count, which is much different. She was saying it was painful for her to remember them and not that there were so many she lost track.
Shepherd said that the author didn’t print her entire quote about her abortions, which she is open about because she wants to “inspire women who go through a lot of shame and guilt about having abortions.” She said the full quote was that she had suffered a lot of shame and guilt and that “a wonderful woman at one of the women’s conferences I speak at came to me and said, ‘Sherri, you know when you get to heaven all your babies are going to be there saying, ‘Hi momma.” and it just kind of freed me and I knew that Jesus had forgiven me.
“I wasn’t being flippant about abortions. I wasn’t glamorizing.”
Joy Behar said that society puts a lot of shame on abortions and Shepherd said that’s why she came out to talk about it.
Shepherd isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but I kind of admire her for talking about this so openly when there’s such a huge stigma attached to abortion. She does deserve credit for being open about something that can so easily be mocked. It also has to be hard for her to see her words twisted around to being some dismissive comment about having multiple abortions instead of the way she meant it, that she carried around a lot of guilt and shame and wants other women to hear that she suffered with it silently too.
Shepherd got confused in December when they were talking about history on The View and she kept insisting that “I don’t think anything predated Christians.. Jesus came first” in history and didn’t seem to get the whole B.C./A.D. idea. She also doesn’t believe in Evolution at all and says she’s never thought about whether the world is flat or not.
As JayBird mentioned yesterday, it’s pretty inspirational that Shepherd went through such a tough life and is now a co-host on such a big show, especially considering that she doesn’t seem to have basic knowledge of history and science. God can’t substitute for an education.
Sherri Shepherd is shown at the Daytime Emmy Awards on 6/20/2008. Credit: Glenn Harris / PR Photos
I’m not surprised at anything any more. People without voices have singing contracts, people with no acting ability make movies and are in Broadway shows, people who can’t string two words together are authors, and people without brains are talk show hosts.
Someone should staple this woman’s lips shut.
sounds like her mouth isn’t the only thing that needs stapled shut
I can’t believe anyone would find one single thing to applaud here. Dignifying this level of stupidity is why so many cretinous half-wits are elevated to celebrity status and earning sums of money most of us can only dream of, despite educating ourselves and working hard.
Makes me so mad. Nothing, zero, zilch to admire about this woman or a climate that allows this level of stupidity to thrive and succeed.
This woman is why the rest of the world pokes fun of americans. Being an american myself im ashamed to call myself american but really.
Dumb ass
This is why Whoopie has to be so hard core, because the other “black” woman on the show is such a moron. I’m embarassed for her.
Mommy:
Why did you type “black”? If you’re implying what I think you are, that’s another discussion.
OT: Can anyone be surprised that Sherri is so stupid when her co-host is Elisabeth Hasslecrack? Those two women singlehandedly reinforce the negative stereotypes about women: that they’re sanctimonious, uptight shrews. Blech.
For some reason that I can’t entirely put my finger on I hate the comment about her babies in heaven saying “Mi Momma.” It may be because she is not they’re momma, she made a difficult decision to not be their momma. It just feels like it makes light of the whole thing.
I thought the same thing, Wif. I find the whole, “Hi Momma!” comment a bit weird and unsettling. . .
She’s not the brightest crayon in the box, but I can see that she genuinely wanted to share her story to help other women chastised by the “A”-word. I sincerely think she was motivated to talk about her past to give hope to other depressed and downtrodden individuals, not earn a paycheck. Again, not the best way to touch on such a heated issue, but I believe it comes from a place of (doltish) love and kindness.
They need to spoof this on SNL.
Raven Simone can play her, and look directly into the camera and say “I was taken out of context…again…what I meant to say, and what so many of you non-flat world living people seem to miss, is that I’m stupid. Don’t take that out of context. I’m not saying I’m stupid. I’m saying that I’m dumb. And don’t take that out of context either. I’m saying that I’m an idiot. But I’m not an idiot when I say that I’m a moron. I’m just saying don’t take me out of context just because I’m a dumbass.”
RELIGION WILL BRING ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD NOT COUNTRYS NOT DICTATORS BUT
RELIGION….
Is it just me, or in this day and age of who knows how many 99% effective methods of birth control, how can anyone consider an abortion anything but the consequences of a MAJOR screw-up on their part (aside from non-consensual/rape)?
I mean, if you want to go have a bunch of sex you should get off your lazy butt and get some birth-control. And, when you don’t do that for whatever economical / emotional / “being in a really bad place in my life” reason, then guess what? You screwed up! And now you have to END something that would otherwise result in a baby person.
I don’t think abortions should be banned (except late term), but it pisses me off when women act like they shouldn’t feel shame for having one. YES, you should feel shame! Just because someone “was in a bad place in their life” should they not feel shame if they get a DUI?
Honestly, belly up to the plate and admit you screwed up, dumb-ass.
She is why I don’t watch The View anymore. Under the definition of “the dumbing down of America” you will find her picture.
“Kim,” with all due respect, you can kiss my ass. I had an abortion when I was 19 and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. AND I was on birth control when I got pregnant; a person less ignorant than you would know that nothing but abstinance is 100% effective.
You’re probably one of those women with self-loathing issues who believe that a woman who gets accidentally pregant “had it coming” or some hateful shit like that. People like you disgust me. I am not ashamed of my choice and neither should any other woman who is faced with that choice.
Oddly enough Sharri, bragging about using your womb as a garbage disposal for human life probably didn’t set well with Bab’s target audience.
Well said, Dingles.
@ kim: “…end something that would otherwise result in a baby person?” as opposed to a baby hippo? a baby ostrich? thanks for the laugh. oh and if you don’t want to have an abortion, don’t have one. i had one when i was 18 and i don’t regret it a bit, but that is my legal right. thanks.
“Hi Momma” my ass. When she gets to Heaven her babies are gonna be bitch slapping her all over the place for aborting them. It’s the right thing to do.
I think one of the reasons that the comment about the babies in heaven saying “hi mommy” bothered me is because one of the popular arguments of many pro-choice individuals is that life begins at birth and that a fetus is not considered life. My personal thought is that life begins at conception, and so termination of a pregnancy is ending a life. I would have thought that Sherri, in order to go through numerous abortions, would be of the popular opinion that life beings at birth. If she were of the mindset that life had begun then it is hard to imagine how she could go through with her numerous abortions. It seems however that she does consider them to be lives that she ended, or else how did they end up in the afterlife?
KUDOS, geronimo!!
OK i can’t stand this woman or her over inflated self opinion! Bet she thinks Oprah is the devil!
Because I say so, You are just biased against Shepherd and Hassleback because they are christians(although I don’t think Sherry is one).
And the black community doesn’t need you to protect them. I don’t find anything wrong with what Mommy typed, as a black woman.
She was just put on the show to make Barbara look better after the Star Jones fiasco. She’s not even a star.
Having done interviews about my job for magazines, they almost NEVER write what you’ve said : it always comes out with a different meaning although most of the words are yours… I was pissed off but it only related to the “philosophy” of my work, so I can only imagine if it would have been about my personal life !
I have not seem the View in a while but it seems to me that it’s not what it used to be. As for Sherri, well some of us is not as bright as others, so maybe she can take her time and think before she speaks. As for the ugly “A” word, I took my 14year old daughter to have an abortion and I regret it everyday!!!! I know deep down inside she probably hate that all of this happened. I felt like at the time there was no other option because she had no idea she was pregnant and I found out just by accident. If I could do it over I would just to make sure either one of us would live with this on our conscience. It is bad, shameful, wrong but at the time I felt like there was no other option. I hope you don’t comment too bad against my post. I did my best to train my daughter to do what was right and never understood how/why this happened to us.
Still sad the decision I made for her 🙁
Regret,
I empathize with your sadness on what could have been and believe that you did your best.
Not trying to sound cold, but think of the opportunites your daughter can take advantage of now. Did you want to raise another baby to afford your daughter the chance to make her way in life?
I do hope she’s has learned something from this painful experience and not that she could use the freedom to choose as a method of birth control.
Hi momma, thanks for killing me!
Dead son #8
Did you know that, at less than a month old, a baby has the central nervous system? Which means he/she can feel. I don’t mean to judge anybody but everybody in the US had to take sex ed in high school. You know that the only safe sex is abstinence, right? Then practice it if you don’t want a baby! It’s pretty simple, right? But I guess most people want to have a self indulgent lifestyle without the consequences.
I am a woman and I know many of you will say that we are mostly dumped with the responsibility of raising children. Sadly, that’s the reality. Still, the federal government has tons of aid for single mothers and if you work hard you can make it. The pursuit of happyness, anyone? Of course, that means no more partying, a habit many young women find so difficult to stop.
Seriously, so many people are spending money on fertility treatments because they want children. If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with a baby, please don’t listen to Sherri Shepherd.
I hate women like her, because she totally prooves the stereotypical pro-lifer’s argument”if you don’t want a baby, keep your legs shut.” Seriously, I will admit that if I got pregnant, I probably would abort it, but if you have to have mulitple abortions, then you should be wondering what you’re doing wrong, not doing the same thing1
You’re killing me here daisyfly. Seriously between you and Geronimo’s comments on the Brooke Hogan thread, I think I peed myself a little. Feel free to call me choosylicious – like Fergie get it. Ahem, anyway you guys are on fire today. Man I love this site!:D
Besides the “baby-person” part, I agree with Kim and Jessica. People do screw up, and God will forgive them, but abortion is not right. It is not ok to kill something that lives inside you. If someone has an abortion they should feel ashamed of themselves, and they should figure out what went wrong and how to fix it so they do not get pregnant until they are ready if that is their wish. Dingles if it makes you feel better to tell kim to kiss your ass than ok, but she has a right to feel that way, and so do I. And I certainly do not loath or hate myself. It is selfish to have an abortion unless raped, bottom line. To have a better future is a selfish reason. Maybe a decent reason, but still selfish.
I have known since I was 14 that I would be a mom, and I was the only one of my high school friends that knew that young motherhood was in my future. I am 25 and the only one without a child. I used birth control and condoms. My husband and I found out in March that we were expecting and we were scared shitless. We were not ready, both of us are in college and we still live with his mom. Abortion NEVER entered our minds. It was not an option, we got pregnant because of our own carelessness. We quickly became excited then I miscarried. It sucked and I wish I was still pregnant. Everything is God’s will. Sometimes stuff happens good and bad, but we should all be accountable for our actions and stop thinking of ourselves all the time. Each and every one of us is not the center of the universe.
stupid girl. appropriate name considering your comments.
anyways i’ve heard a lot from this sherri on the gossip blogs as well as watching clips and she definatly comes across as a moron.
Regret, I just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience. It’s a difficult decision and I can’t imagine being put in that situation. All the best to you.
I’m a guy. When I was 18 a friend of mine was pregnant from a guy who actually literally left her waiting at the alter. He called the maid of honor so she could break the news that he could not go through with it, while they were waiting for him to come to the church. He then married a woman who was pregnant out of wedlock, abandoning his own child, who he never had anything to do with. That child got pregnant at age 16 and had a child who is now 21.
Neither my friend nor her daughter ever mated successfully and are single women until this day. There is hope for the 21 year old.
I told my friend at age 18 that she should have an abortion. I am happy she did not listen to me. Life has not (and still is not) easy for any of them, but they are a family who support each other. There is real love there (along with all the problems families have) but they now have each other on earth not in heaven. I am alone, flying solo on earth. Having support is a plus. I am happy my friend has a family to support her. Flying solo is difficult. She did the right thing and put up with the hard life, her daughter did the same. Lets applaud all those who make this difficult decision. My Friend is my hero.
I really believe that this is an individual choice although I am so glad I never had to make it. That being said, does anybody know how many abortions this woman had? Two? Three? Yeah, I understand screwing up once, but beyond that it’s kind of bewildering. Unless you take into account insurance companies that pay for Viagra instead of birth control (can’t handle to heckling from the pro-lifers), and the Bush government cutting funding for access to affordable birth control. Abstinence is absolutely smart and advisable. But if men got pregnant, the right to free birth control would probably be in the freaking Constitution.
“Did you know that, at less than a month old, a baby has the central nervous system? Which means he/she can feel.”
Of COURSE a baby has a complete central nervous system at a month old, Jessica. I believe that develops before birth.
If you meant to say a fetus has a central nervous system at less than a month after conception, you’re wrong. It’s at around 26-28 weeks that a fetus is thought to be able to feel pain, not 26-28 days. Yes, some of the system may be there before 26 to 28 weeks, but the parts that hook it all up so that it works aren’t there. Saying that a fetus can feel pain just because there are pain transmitters present is like saying you can plug a stereo into an outlet in a house under construction and it would work even though the wires connecting it to the meter aren’t there.
“But if men got pregnant, the right to free birth control would probably be in the freaking Constitution.” No kidding.
Sherri saying that she can’t count the number of abortions she’s had doesn’t mean that there were many of them. I doubt that she can count past two.
I am amazed at the cruelty of these coments. It makes me so very sad that there is no compassion in America anymore. Where did the love go? Remember that Jesus taught “the feableminded you will always have with you” During my lifetime (60years plus) I have found that it is the so called feable minded (less intelligent folks)who always tell the truth and love without discrimmination. God Bless the lest intelligent our our nation, it is their purity that provides the grace that carries the rest of us into each new day.
I think they should not only get rid of Sherri, but they should also get rid of Elisabeth. She is a trouble maker,and never has anything worth while to contribut. she only talks about how she is a republican, then start kaouse, about the democrats,
She, should not be the View. I don’t know how she lasted so long, the should get rid of her.She is 👿
you know i started taking notes on all of Sherri’s faux pas and all the terrific things that make me cringe….really it’s Lizzi that should get the shaft for being such an obnoxious cry baby cuddling the Sherry ….i guess they figure they’d better stick together cos the writing seems to be on the wall….talk about vapid…but the excitement blondie brings to the show kinda ignites my need to watch…although she truly repulses me….but all of Sherri’s struggles to understand the gays gag me with a view cup….oy …and I am a joy!
I would like to watch “The View” but it is awful/unbearable because of this Sherri Shepherd and Elizabeth Hass. the show is an embarrassment……but I suppose it is working as far as the ratings go or else these two morons would be pulled off the show….money talks