What’s Really Going on With That $900 Million Lawsuit Claim About ‘The View’

Image by Nimesh Niyomal

Reality television and talk shows are all subject to online rumors. However, there’s one daytime talk show that has become particularly susceptible to fake news on the internet. Originally launched by legendary journalist Barbara Walters in 1997 as a roundtable for women to discuss everything from pop culture to politics, The View has evolved into a politically charged battleground, and with that shift has come a spike in online rumors, hoaxes, and outright fabrications. As hosts share strong opinions, particularly those critical of Donald Trump and other right-wing figures, the show has become a prime target for partisan outrage, AI-generated disinformation, and misleading “satirical” sites that exploit readers who don’t bother to fact-check a viral headline.

Is ‘The View’ Being Sued?

Image via ABC Image via ABC Image via ABC Image via ABC

One of the most common rumors is that high-profile figures are suing the daytime talk show. However, Snopes has fact-checked the rumors and found no tangible evidence to suggest any legal action was taken. One prominent example is Carrie Underwood. In January 2025, posts and videos surfaced on social media alleging that the country singer was suing The View for $800 million. These posts surfaced after Underwood announced she was performing at Trump’s inauguration, and the hosts of the show shared their critical thoughts on the broadcast. There was absolutely no evidence online to support the claims.

Another rumor that spread online in early 2025 was that the first lady, Melania Trump, had sued The View and won $900 million. Some social media posts claimed the lawsuit stemmed from comments made by host Sunny Hostin about her marriage to President Trump. When researching the lawsuit, a Google search only turned up results regarding the false claim. No credible news outlets have reported that such a lawsuit exists. When asked about the claim, a spokesperson for The View told fact-checking site Lead Stories through an email statement: “This is not true.”

In both cases, some true information is intertwined with fiction to make the claims seem believable. Yes, the hosts of the daytime talk show made critical remarks about Underwood’s choice to perform at the inauguration, or Melania’s marriage. However, the headline of both stories, that The View was sued, is false.

‘The View’ Has Been Targeted in Other Outlandish Rumors

Image via ABC

There are plenty of other rumors surrounding the daytime talk show that have been debunked. In March 2025, a rumor began swirling online that the Department of Government Efficiency, run by Elon Musk, had offered a $6 million grant to The View host Whoopi Goldberg to “promote diversity” on the show. Multiple Facebook posts spread the rumor. However, a simple Google search produces nothing to suggest this ever happened. The claim was found to have originated on a Facebook page called America’s Last Line of Defense and its connected website, the Dunning-Kruger Times, which states on their “About Us” page that everything on the website is fiction.

A rumor that no View fan wants to hear is that the network, ABC, is canceling the show. This was a story that emerged in mid-December 2024. The rumor specified that the CEO of ABC supposedly called The View “TV’s worst show ever” and was going to axe the series. The first red flag that the story was fiction should’ve been the feature image, which did not show Dana Walden, ABC’s current CEO, but rather a picture of ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic. A story as huge as this would’ve been immediately picked up by news outlets. This is another instance where a satirical website posted the claim and viewers took it and ran with it.

Misinformation, fake news, and rumors are a huge issue in today’s media landscape. Although websites may spread these rumors under the guise of satire, their disclaimers are hidden away in layers of false headlines, making it easy for viewers to take the story and run with it. With the current state of the world, politics is a hot topic right now, and The View participates in political discussions, making them a target for false online rumors. Long story short, no, The View is not getting sued by any high-profile figures, and next time you see that headline, make sure to check where the information is coming from.