On Wednesday, news broke that Hollywood legend, Raquel Welch, had passed away at the age of eighty-two after a battle with a “brief illness” that she was not able to shake.
In the wake of the death of this iconic sex symbol, co-hosts of ABC’s The View began talking about her legacy the following day on Thursday.
However, their conversation came to a grinding halt after co-host Sunny Hostin tried to compare Raquel Welch to reality television star and modern-day sex symbol Kim Kardashian – only to have her observation immediately backfire and blow up in her face.
Welch’s manager, Steve Sauer, confirmed the Hollywood legend’s death to People Magazine, saying that the iconic celebrity, who was also a Golden Globe winner, “passed away peacefully early this morning after a brief illness.”
Sauer added, “Her career spanned over 50 years, starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs. Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter Tahnee Welch.”
When it came time for the women of The View to talk about Raquel Welch’s legacy, Sunny Hostin pointed out that she reminded her of Kim Kardashian. This happened after moderator Whoopi Goldberg kicked off Thursday’s program with a tribute to Welch, a sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s.
“They don’t make any sex symbols like that [anymore],” Joy Behar, 80, said.
After Behar made a comment about Welch as an iconic sex symbol, Sunny Hostin interjected to say, “Well, Kim Kardashian is….”
But the hosts of The View did not let Hostin finish her statement. The crowd erupted into a rage and shouted “No!” at hearing the name of the reality star who became a national spectacle following the release of her sex tape from several years ago.
“Kardashian?! No!” Behar said. Meanwhile, the studio audience continued to boo Hostin for even suggesting that Raquel Welch and Kim Kardashian were in the same league when it came to being sex symbols for the American public. “Turning, turning! The audience is turning.”
Hostin was surprised that her observation caused so much controversy. She was dumbstruck at being silenced by comparing Welch to Kim Kardashian.
Goldberg added, “That’s not even — you can’t even put them in the same — I’m not even — look, I’m moving on.”
Behar quipped, “Now she’s ticked off!”
While Kardashian became a national sex symbol because of her sex tape with her ex-boyfriend, Welch refused to appear nude throughout her career. Nevertheless, she made some sexy appearances in front of the camera that enticed an entire generation of American men.
“I’ve definitely used my body and sex appeal to advantage in my work, but always within limits,” Welch said, according to The New York Times. “I reserve some things for my private life, and they are not for sale.”
