‘The View’ Loses Sponsors After ‘Nurse’ Comments Controversy

The View has gotten itself into hot water following major fallout from comments Joy Behar made about Miss Colorado’s appearance at the Miss America Pageant on Sunday.

During a segment on The View, the ladies discussed Kelley Johnson’s attire, which included nurse scrubs and a stethoscope. During her speech on the Miss America Pageant, the contestant discussed her experience as a nurse caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s.

The women of The View, instead of highlighting the achievement, asked why she was wearing a stethoscope since she wasn’t a doctor. Comedian Michelle Collins said, “The talent, though, I have to say, the woman who won sang opera, and she was incredible. Really good,”

“But then there was a girl who wrote her own monologue and I was like, ‘Turn the volume up, this is going be amazing, let’s listen.’ She came out in a nurse’s uniform and basically read her emails out loud and shockingly did not win … it was hilarious,” Collins added.

Behar then said, “Why does she have a doctor’s stethoscope on?” Collins replied, “She helps patients with Alzheimer’s, which I know is not funny, but I swear you had to see it.”

Since the comments on The View, nurses have come forward with the hashtag #nursesunite to combat the View’s recent comments, and posted photos wearing stethoscopes. In response to the controversy, two huge sponsors, Johnson & Johnson and Eggland’s Best, have decided to pull their ads from The View’s airing over the insensitive comments.

Releasing statements to the Wrap, Johnson & Johnson stated, “Johnson & Johnson values and appreciates nurses and we respect the critical role they play in our health care system. We disagree with recent comments on daytime television about the nursing profession and we have paused our advertising accordingly.”

Eggland’s Best submitted their statement to The Wrap, saying, “In light of the comments about the nursing profession recently made on daytime television we will we will no longer be advertising on the show in question.”

So far, ABC has not commented on losing sponsors, but The View did comment about the initial discussion. Michelle Collins said, “I was not talking about her as a nurse. I was talking about the talent competition and it got misconstrued. We love nurses. We adore you. We respect you. You guys are wonderful.”

Behar called herself “stupid and inattentive.” She continued, “I did not know she was a nurse. I’m used to seeing the contestants in gowns and bathing suits so it’s not like I was trying to be funny. I was just not paying attention. I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about.”

[Photo by Donald Kravitz / Getty Images Entertainment]