Corey Feldman Discusses His Interaction With Barbara Walters on ‘The View’: 'Hollywood's Predators'

Actor Corey Feldman recently revisited a painful memory from his past, recalling a deeply impactful and controversial exchange with famous journalist Barbara Walters during his appearance on The View in October 2013. The incident, which resurfaced in a recent interview, sheds light on Feldman’s ongoing advocacy against child predators in Hollywood. During his appearance on the show, Feldman was promoting his memoir Coreyography, where he bravely detailed the alleged sexual assault he and his fellow child star Corey Haim faced in the industry.

In a resurfaced clip from the interview, Feldman passionately spoke about the presence of child predators still active in the industry. He remarked, "I'm saying that there were people that did this to both me and Corey, that are still working, they're still out there, and they're some of the richest, most powerful people in this business. And they do not want me saying what I'm saying right now." Walters’ response to Feldman’s revelations was jarring. She exclaimed, "You're damaging an entire industry," to which Feldman responded, "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to. I'm just trying to say that it's a very important, serious topic."

This allegation deeply affected Feldman, who expressed his shock and disappointment at someone he had admired. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he revealed, "It was like a knife in the heart. It was shocking to me that somebody who I admired so much and I looked up to so much could be so deaf and so just completely wrong and off base." Fast forward to Walters’ passing in 2022, Feldman revealed, "I never got an apology. The only apology I've ever gotten is from a few Twitter followers who've said, we all want to apologize on her behalf for the fact that she never acknowledged you or apologized."

He also said, "Praying that one day my voice, Corey's voice, all the voices of all the victims that I experienced and saw in my time as a child get their voices heard and get a chance to come forward and have a chance of justice." As per PEOPLE, Feldman’s advocacy for victims of sexual abuse in Hollywood has been ongoing, culminating in his documentary My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, which premiered in 2020. The documentary was focused to expose the prevalence of abuse in the industry and give a voice to victims who have long been silenced.

He pointed to positive developments, such as the success of docuseries like Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which also addresses the issue of known predators in the industry. Feldman remarked, "Honestly, nobody in Hollywood has really stood with me during this, and it's been really rough, but you never know. Tides seem to be changing, and the tides seemed to be turning. And hopefully maybe one day somebody will care enough to help me get my story told properly."