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The owner of the Los Angeles Times reportedly considered launching a conservative version of the daytime talk show The View and met with comedian and anti-vaccine advocate Rob Schneider and the wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., actor Cheryl Hines, to discuss it.
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the pharmaceutical businessman, met with the two celebrities – both known for their ties to conservatism – last month, according to journalist Oliver Darcy, who reported the news in his newsletter Status.
The meeting arrived after Schneider pitched the idea of creating an all-women talk show that would be “the opposite” of The View, the daytime talk show known for its political commentary.
He told Fox News, his media company, No Apologies Media, was “going to compete with [The View].”
Schneider, a comedian best known for his role on Saturday Night Live in the 90s, has become a figure in conservative media. He espouses anti-vaccine rhetoric and health-related content similar to RFK Jr, president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for US health secretary. He has also been criticized for making anti-LGBT+ comments in his comedy and on social media.
Hines, best known for her role on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has recently risen to political prominence for being married to RFK Jr.
Though nothing official has been announced yet, the move to collaborate on a more conservative form of content aligns with Soon-Shiong’s recent push for the LA Times to become less liberal.
Last year, Soon-Shiong blocked the editorial board from formally endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris leading to controversy. Several staff members resigned in protest and thousands of subscribers canceled their subscriptions.
In November, Soon-Shiong announced his intent to overhaul the newspaper’s editorial board to make it more balanced.
Then in December, he announced the LA Times would begin putting an AI-powered bias meter on articles.
His decisions have caused outrage at the newspaper and according to Darcy, when rumors spread that the LA Times may collaborate with Schneider some staffers became “alarmed.”
The Independent has reached out to Schneider and Hines for comment.
